In Sheep's Clothing
by The Blue Raven
Summary: When a Cirronian serial killer targets Mel, Cole and Vic race against the clock to save her while Vic tries to deflect questions from his partner about what’s REALLY going on with Cole. Zin puts in an appearance as an unlikely ally.
1. Chapter 1

****

In Sheep's Clothing

Summary: When a Cirronian serial killer targets Mel, Cole and Vic race against the clock to save her while Vic tries to deflect questions from his partner about what's REALLY going on with Cole.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own them but, hey, just as soon as that deal with Zin goes through…

Timeline: Post-"Remember When". About three weeks after my fic "Training Day"

Spoilers: "What Lies Beneath"

****

Content Warning: This fic bears an R rating for **_consensual sex (Mel/Cole and Vic/Maria), physical violence, torture, and attempted rape_**. If any of these offend or upset you unduly, you should consider not reading it.

****

Chapter 1 

Detectives Victor Bruno and Maria Cruz sat in Vic's car, watching the house of William Brandon, suspected of kidnapping and possibly murder. Two weeks ago, a harassment complaint had been filed against him by a young woman named Susan Blake. Now Susan Blake was missing and several neighbors claimed to have seen Brandon loitering near her home on the night of her disappearance. The police had been watching him without luck for four days, hoping that he would lead them to his victim.

Maria Cruz yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. "Ah, sorry, Vicky."

"Police work can be so exciting, can't it?"

"Oh, thrilling," she replied blandly. "Just tell me it's almost shift-change."

"Yeah. Andrews and Craig are due to relieve us in another half hour."

"Good. Want to go out for drinks after?"

"Would rather stay in, actually."

"Curl up on the couch with a pizza?" she guessed. "You're getting predictable, partner."

"Hey, it works. I happen to _like_ curling up with you, Mar."

"First guy to be happy leaving it at that," she muttered.

"Mar?"

"Never mind." Maria grinned at him, shaking her head. "Staying in it is," she told him. 

Vic inhaled deeply. "Something is going to have to give soon, Mar," he whispered.

Her smile faded and she picked up her binoculars, returning her attention to the house they were watching. "Are you talking about the pace of this relationship or about the regs?" 

"That last one…"

"Yeah, I know." Maria nodded. "As long as we keep our clothes on and it's the couch not the bed, we're good. Past that…"

Vic sighed deeply. He had been thinking about it a lot lately. Losing Maria Cruz as a partner was not something he liked to think about, but if they were to have a relationship, he was going to _have_ to. Chicago PD had a very clear policy on the issue of fraternization between partners. 

"Best case, we both get to stay in Robbery/Homicide _and _in the same precinct…"

Maria sighed and nodded. "The Bureau's been scouting me out again," she whispered.

"Maybe… maybe you should go for it," Vic suggested quietly.

"Two years ago you suggested that joining the FBI was about equivalent to selling my s--" She stopped mid-sentence, dropping the binoculars and grabbing the radio. "He's in his car. We're in pursuit."

Vic started the car and pulled into traffic a few cars behind their suspect. "We'll discuss this tonight?"

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding. "Eastbound on State," she added into the radio.

Their conversation forgotten, they followed Brandon in almost complete silence until he pulled his truck up next to a warehouse on the waterfront. Maria radioed in their location and they quickly slipped from the car as he moved inside.

"Cover this entrance," Vic murmured, unsnapping the catch on his holster. "I'll check around back for other exits."

"No." Maria shook her head. "You cover this entrance. I can move faster and more quietly; I'll check the back…"

"Okay. Stay safe, Mar," he whispered, kissing her cheek.

Maria nodded faintly, before stepping around the building. Vic was so preoccupied watching her go that he completely failed to notice the man moving up behind him until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun, drawing his gun as he went. It was promptly plucked from his hand.

"You should be more careful who you aim this at," Cole informed him in a low voice, handing it back to him. "Someone could get hurt."

"Cute… Do _not_ do that again, man!" Vic hissed, shaking his head. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway?"

"Tracking a fugitive who has been responsible for the murders of several young women since coming to this planet and many more before."

"Brandon's not human? _Shit_," Vic whispered, glancing in the direction Maria had gone.

"Go to her," Cole murmured. "Quickly. I'll take the front."

"Thanks, man. Cops will be here soon," Vic added over his shoulder, reholstering his gun and jogging after Maria. 

He broke into a run when he heard a gun go off behind the warehouse, coming around the back in time to see a service door slide shut. Cursing, he followed, silently opening the door and slipping inside. 'William Brandon' was bending over Maria, too preoccupied to notice Vic's presence. She looked unharmed but dazed as far as he could tell, so Vic slid into the shadows, ready to take the now gun-wielding fugitive unawares at the first opportunity.

"You thought I wouldn't notice your clumsy attempts to follow me?" he scoffed, grabbing Maria by the ponytail and jerking her head up. 

"Where is she, Brandon?" Maria demanded, refusing to let her anxiety make itself heard. "Where is Susan Blake?"

Maria's eyes darted around the warehouse as she assessed her situation. Brandon was too strong and had snuck up on her too quickly, perhaps drugged. She was reminded of the way Gregory James had been able to subdue Vic and filed that away. Vic would certainly have heard her gun go off and backup had already been sent for. All she needed to do was buy a little time and everything would be just fine. She had no intention of getting herself killed trying to escape from a potentially drugged and certainly dangerous man who had appropriated her service-weapon.

"Dear Susan is… no longer suffering," he told Maria gently, kneeling in front of her. He cradled her face in his hands, his fingers stroking along her cheeks. Maria tried to jerk her head away, but he tightened his grip painfully. "No, you don't," he murmured, shaking his head. "Your timing couldn't be better. I've been watching you and your partner… You'll do nicely."

Maria cursed quietly in Spanish, glaring at her assailant. A glint of metal from a nearby shadow told her that Vic was taking aim.

He spun abruptly, jerking Maria around and placing her body between his own and Vic. "Did I mention that I've been watching you?" he asked Vic casually.

"Let her go," Vic ordered, emerging from the shadows. He held his gun away from his body but remained ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"No." He smiled faintly and shook his head. "I _like_ this one. She sleeps in silk."

Maria's eyes widened and Vic frowned. He _had_ been watching them, closely enough to know what she _slept_ in at night. 

"Yeah, well isn't that nice?" Vic asked.

"In my experience, creatures who sleep in silk enjoy the sensation of touch. It's a very important and, I have learned, much underrated sensation," he added, keeping a vice-like grip on Maria's face with one hand and using the other to free her hair from its ponytail. "Not everyone fully appreciates it," he told Vic, running one hand thoughtfully through Maria's hair. "Oh, you have _soft_ hair, beautiful," he whispered to her. "Smells nice, too. I can see now why you spend extra for the Herbal conditioner."

"Bite me," she hissed.

"Perhaps in time," he breathed in her ear, slipping an arm around her waist. His hand came to rest over her heart as he pulled her towards the back door. "You're more of a fighter than Miss Blake; you'll last longer. I think I'm looking forward to this."

"Let her go!" Vic shouted, raising his gun again. Maria was a tall woman and her body was effectively shielding his. There was no way of shooting him without also hitting her and, from the look on her face, she knew it. "Backup is on its way!"

He tilted his head at Vic. "I have visited Susan _seven_ times since you people started watching me. I've watched you two petting and necking on your living room couches for three nights. I've watched her take hour long cold showers every night after you left, usually _crying_…"

Vic's eyes widened marginally at this intelligence but he did not otherwise allow himself to react. This man was playing mind-games and he refused to let it get to him. "Let her go," he ordered again.

"Is her throat sensitive?" he asked, ignoring Vic's order. "I have a soft spot for women with sensitive throats…"

"There are cops moving into position _right now_," Vic said firmly. "You'll never get her out of here."

"_They_ can't stop me any more than _you_ could keep track of my movements. I move too fast for any cop on the planet."

"_Almost_ any cop on the planet, Kaehto," a new voice added gently. 

"You?" Kaehto spun to face Cole, his expression going from serene to amused. "You're just in time!"

Red light spilled out from under the hand that Kaehto still had resting over Maria's heart and she let out an agonized howl, struggling frantically but with less and less effectiveness as her strength and her grip on consciousness slipped away. Vic fired twice into his back as Maria continued to scream. Kaehto released his hold on her, raising an eyebrow at Vic and bowing his head before starting for the door. Cole closed on him, pulling out his Collector as Maria slumped to the ground.

"Me or her, Daggon. Me or her," Kaehto said in a sing-song voice, backing away and not seeming to notice that he was bleeding heavily onto the warehouse floor.

"Mar!" Vic shouted as Cole went after Kaehto. He ran to her side, feeling for a pulse. "Shit, Mar… No, baby," he whispered, rolling her onto her back and covering her mouth with his, forcing air into her lungs. "Don't you _dare_ do this to me," he snapped, compressing her chest. 

He lashed out when he felt hands trying to push him away, his fist connecting blindly with the side of Cole's face. The Cirronian shoved hard, sending him sliding across the warehouse floor, and bent over the unresponsive woman, his hands running over her throat and chest and his expression concerned.

"No," Cole whispered, shaking his head.

"We need to do CPR," Vic told him frantically, coming back to himself. "She's not breathing and there's no heartbeat."

"CPR won't help," Cole told him quietly, unbuttoning the top several buttons of her blouse and resting his hands over her heart.

"Can _you_?" Vic whispered. "Cole, _please_…" 

"I'll try," Cole promised. "Touch her, Vic. Talk to her. Tell her to come back," he ordered.

"Mar, babe… come on, sweetie," Vic whispered frantically, cradling her face in his hands. He looked up as intensely brilliant light spilled out from under Cole's hands, far stronger than the light Vic associated with a Cirronian healing. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to bring her back. _Talk to her_," Cole ordered more firmly, releasing more energy. "Tell her she's not allowed to go."

"You heard the man, Mar," Vic whispered, lowering his face to hers and nuzzling her cheek. "Come on, partner. I kind of need you here," he whispered in her ear.

Cole moaned softly, releasing another burst of energy. She was trying to embrace the dark, the calm. There was peace in that darkness, the reason it was so often so hard to bring people back. Maria Cruz was enjoying that peace, clinging to it like a woman who had lived too hard a life and was ready to rest.

"_Do better, Vic!_" he ordered. He could feel what the human felt for his partner and friend and he was not about to let him lose that. "Give her a **_reason_** to come back to you!" he demanded, releasing more energy.

"I love you, Mar. I need you," Vic breathed, his tears wetting her face. 

"_Ah,_" Cole moaned as Maria's body tensed and then relaxed again. "Yes…" He nodded and released another burst, this one far more gentle than the previous ones. He looked up at Vic, nodding faintly and ignoring his spinning head. "You should call a human doctor for her, but she'll recover."

"Oh, God, man. _Thank you_," Vic whispered, reaching across Maria's unconscious form and grabbing the Cirronian's hands. With a stifled sob, he let go of Cole and gathered Maria into his arms.

  
Cole looked up at the sound of sirens. "I must leave now," he told Vic, rising. "Bring her to a hospital, make sure she is well-guarded. I will find you again later. We have much to discuss."

"What was he?" Vic asked. "Vardian? Mel says that Vardians can--"

"Cirronian, Vic," Cole whispered before vanishing into thin air. "He was Cirronian."

***

"Cole!" Mel exclaimed, circling out from behind the bar. "God, are you okay? Vic called," she added in a whisper. "He was _frantic_. Something about a fugitive attacking Maria…"

"Detective Cruz will be fine," Cole assured her quietly, smiling down at her and resting his hands on her shoulders. Moaning softly, he pulled her into a tight hug, remembering how he had nearly lost her to Zin. "He almost lost her, but she will be fine," he whispered, burying his face in her hair and inhaling deeply.

Mel was more than a little startled by such an open display in the bar with almost two dozen patrons about. It was not normal. "Cole?" she whispered, looking up at him in concern. "Are you okay?" she whispered, reaching up and touching his cheek. "Oh, God. Your skin is so cold…"

"I'm fine, Mel," he whispered, pulling away and starting towards the apartment stairwell.

"No, Cole, you are _not_," Mel told him, following. His face was a sickly gray color and he was weaving on his feet. "What happened?"

"A fugitive attacked Detective Cruz. She would have died. It took a lot to bring her back," he answered quietly. "I need to lie down," he added before swaying once and collapsing into a pile on the floor.

"Cole!" Mel gasped, dropping to her knees next to him.

Jonas was at her side in a heartbeat, feeling for Cole's pulse. "Isabel, call an ambulance," he ordered.

"_No!_" Mel half-shouted.

Jonas recoiled slightly. "Mel," he began gently.

"No. Jonas, _please_…" Mel gave him a pleading look. "Just help me get him upstairs?" she whispered.

Jonas regarded her searchingly for a long moment and then nodded. "Never mind, Isabel," he called, rising and helping Mel pull Cole into a standing position.

"Are you sure?" she asked, watching them support the barely-conscious Cirronian with wide eyes.

"Yes, Isabel." Jonas gave her a reassuring smile. "Everything is just fine," he promised. "I _hope,_" he added for Mel's ears alone as they hauled Cole up the stairs.

"Jonas, you need to trust me," Mel murmured.

"Mel _is_ to be trusted, Jonas," Cole added weakly, not opening his eyes. "I'm just tired. I need to lie down."

"What's going on, guys?" Jonas asked firmly, helping Mel maneuver Cole down the hall and into the bedroom. "This is _not_ exhaustion."

"It is," Cole said, dropping gratefully onto the bed. "Mel, may I have a glass of water please?"

  
"Sure, Cole." Mel nodded.

"With lots of sugar in it, please," he added as she hurried from the bedroom.

"Cole," Jonas said softly once they were alone. "What's wrong, son?"

"I'm very weak, very tired. I overdid badly, but it's okay…"

Jonas shook his head. "Cole, I was in the Army for a lot of years. I have seen exhaustion and this is _not_ it."

Cole opened his eyes and smiled weakly at Jonas. "I will be fine," he assured him gently. "I just overdid a little. I will be fine. You don't have to worry."

"Here, Cole," Mel murmured, helping him to sit up again and holding a glass to his lips. 

He gave her a weak smile and took a long drink, smiling at the sweet taste of the sugar-water. "Thank you, Mel."

"Cole," Jonas began again.

"I am _fine_, Jonas. Everything will be fine," he assured him. "Mel, reassure Jonas," he suggested gently.

Mel's eyes narrowed and she nodded, resting one hand on the back of Jonas' neck. "Jonas, everything is just _fine_," she said firmly, releasing soothing energy.

Jonas jumped slightly, staring up at her with wide eyes. 

"What's wrong, Jonas?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Oh, you just gave me a shock when you touched me," he said, smiling at her. "Get some rest, Cole," he suggested, ushering Mel from the bedroom. "You call a doctor if he's not better in a few hours," he ordered Mel firmly. "I mean it. He could be seriously ill in there."

"He's not. He's just exhausted. He… hasn't been sleeping."

Jonas frowned but nodded. "Okay, Mel. If you say so…" His voice indicated his obvious disapproval but when they returned to the bar, Jonas was the first to reassure Isabel that everything was just fine.

Mel remained downstairs for almost an hour, putting on her 'game face' and brushing off the incident when asked about it. As soon as Bridgit arrived for her shift, though, she vanished back up the stairs.

"Cole?" she whispered, entering the dark bedroom. When there was no answer from the prone Cirronian, she reached out and gently touched his cheek. "Tausha?" 

  
Cole snapped into a sitting position with a startled gasp, looking around anxiously for a moment before his eyes settled on Mel. He smiled warmly at her, catching her hand and pulling her to sit next to him.

"You woke me," he explained in response to her questioning look.

"You were sleeping? Actually… _sleeping_?" Mel frowned. "Are you okay?"

He smiled and nodded. "Just _very_ drained, Mel," he whispered, cradling her face in his hands. "I may need sleep for a few days, but I will recover with rest."

"What happened with Vic and Maria, Cole?"

"He almost lost her, Mel. I was Tracking Kaehto. So were they… She was dead before I could get to them."

"But you brought her back? She's going to be okay?"

Cole nodded faintly. 

"Cole, what Vic described happening to her… hand on the chest, red energy… it sounds like what Zin did to me. So why was bringing Maria back so much harder on you?"

"It was… Zin is Vardian. Kaehto is not. It's… _easier_ to bring someone back when such an attack is committed by a Vardian."

"I didn't know that the other species were capable of a drain like that," Mel said, frowning. "You never mentioned it before."

"It never came up." He shrugged at her glare. "I mean it, Mel. We were never in a position where it was… important."

"If the other fugitives can do it, it's important for me to know," she pointed out, frowning. "Cole… what's going on? You've been evasive on this Kaehto guy since you realized that he was planet-side. _Talk_ to me, baby."

"Only one other species can effect an energy drain, Mel," he whispered, bowing his head. "And it's far worse than the Vardian energy drain is. It's a terrible crime to take a life in that way. I knew it was possible, but I never thought I would live to see a _Cirronian_ doing it again."

"Kaehto is… Cirronian?" she whispered, covering her mouth with one hand. He had not said so, only that he was a very violent man who had to be apprehended immediately. "Oh, Cole…"

"He was sentenced to six consecutive life terms on Sar Top for killing… nine young women. His last intended victim survived, Mel, but she… her mind was gone by the time we found her."

"What did he do to her?" she whispered, absently smoothing away the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"He kept her alive for three weeks, Mel. Every day, some new pain for her." He shook his head, not bothering to share with her that the girl had been just into adolescence at the time. 

He also saw no reason to share the _other_ atrocity that Kaehto had perpetrated on the poor child.

"Why? Why would he do that?"

"Because… he could. It was a matter of curiosity for him. He likes to… experiment on his victims." Cole shook his head. "None of us had _ever_ seen a violent Cirronian before. Everyone thought that it _had_ to be someone from off-world killing those girls. There was no way a Cirronian was capable of cold-blooded murder, let alone murder by _torture_. Except that Kaehto _was_, Mel. He is… an aberration, an abomination against _everything_ that it means to be Cirronian…"

"That must have been so hard for you."

"There were five of us who found the girl and took Kaehto," he told her quietly. "A month later, only Kallissa and I were still Trackers. The others just couldn't handle it any more."

"Wow," Mel murmured. 

"He was not a part of the first escape," Cole added, rising. "You must start carrying the atomizer I got for you. Your Collector alone is not protection enough. I must contact Sar Top, Kallissa… she has a complete psychological profile on him."

"Are you… up to this?"

Cole nodded faintly. "I am, Mel. I have to be."


	2. Chapter 2

****

Chapter 2

"Where is he?"

"Upstairs, Vic. He's working," Mel told him, circling the bar and giving him a quick hug. "How is she, Vic?"

"The doctors think she has a concussion. I didn't bother to tell them what's _really_ wrong with her. I doubt I could have explained… They're keeping her overnight for observation."

Mel nodded. "Are you okay? Cole told me--"

"He told you _what_?" Vic interrupted, frowning.

"That you guys almost lost her. That must have been so hard on you. I know how much you care about her…"

"No, Mel, you have no idea," he sighed, shaking his head. "I honestly… I'm just starting to figure it out myself, actually." Shaking his head again, he sat down at the bar. "Scotch, please, Isabel," he called to her. Looking over his shoulder at Mel, he added, "It doesn't work. It _can't_."

Mel sat down next to him and lifted her hand to his throat, sighing softly. "Vic, you _are_ allowed to love her, you know. I mean… the partner thing aside, she's _good_ for you and she always has been. Thanks, Isabel," she added when the girl handed Vic his drink. "Vic," she sighed when Isabel had moved away. "_Let go_."

Vic sighed and refused to let the soothing touch work this time. He laughed bitterly and took a long sip of his drink. "Let go, Vic. Easy for you to say."

Mel grabbed the glass out of his hand, taking a long pull of her own. "You bet your ass it's easy for me to say, Vic. I care about you and I want you to be happy. Maria can do that for you. She could be the kind of girlfriend that I could _never_ have been."

"You know, Mel, it's funny. You may _hate_ dating cops, but… you can't get away from it, can you?"

She frowned, startled. "Vic, you can not still be--"

"Jealous? No, Mel." He shook his head quickly. "Not that. I… I don't have a claim on you and I'm not trying to be some jerk about the fact that you and Cole are… I don't have to _like_ it, necessarily, but he's good for you the way Mar is good for me. He has _changed_ you." He retrieved his glass from her and took another sip. "You hate dating cops, Mel. Yet here you are, dating a cop. You _always_ end up going back to them. Bobby Jenkins. Me. Cole… It's all the same. You hate it but you do it anyway. And I am the _exact same way_. I _hate_ these dead-end, revolving door relationships I get myself into. But I _keep going back_…" He laughed softly, shaking his head. "What is it about me that I'm doomed to disappoint the women I love?"

"Is that what you think?" Mel shook her head and took his hands in hers. "_No_, Vic. No… You never disappointed me. You have always been a cop first and I _love_ that about you. I always have and I always will. And you're wrong about something else. I don't hate dating cops. I never have. That's just been my excuse for why it never works. I'm as doomed to date cops as you are to _be_ a cop. It's who we are… There's no getting away from that. We can deny it for a few days or a few weeks, but we end up tying ourselves in _knots_."

"Why didn't it work, Mel?" he asked softly. "I could _never_ get that. If it wasn't about the job…" He shook his head. "What?"

"Me. It's only ever been me, Vic." She shook her head. "I spent my entire life feeling incomplete and believing that a relationship with the right man could fix that. Only… when the right man did come along, what I learned was that only _I_ could make me complete." She sighed and gave his hands a gentle squeeze. "Vic, you are _not_ going to disappoint Maria. I promise you. She understands you better than anyone else. She understands you better than you understand _yourself_ sometimes…"

"I know. I just want it to be…"

"Perfect?" Mel ventured quietly. "It doesn't work that way, Vic, and we both know it. If perfect were possible…"

"I know, Mel. But I can't help it."

"Vic…" Mel reached up and cupped his face in both hands, resting her forehead against his. "Let go. _Don't_ let your fear paralyze you. Trust me. I've been down that road and the scenery _sucks_."

Vic chuckled at her words, leaning his forehead into hers. It felt good to have Mel comfortable enough with his presence to actually _touch_ him again. It was nowhere near the level of physical intimacy that had existed while they were dating, closer to that which had always existed in between those times, when they were 'just friends'. Mel was a toucher, always had been, even if she seemed a lot more comfortable doing it in public these days.

"What did I do right that we have broken up… what, four times now and we're still friends?"

Mel smiled faintly. "_Five_ times. And it's probably because you're such a great guy." She winked. "You wanted to talk to him?"

He nodded and rose, following her up the stairs and ignoring the look Isabel was giving them. He had no doubt that the girl had completely misinterpreted what had just passed between Mel and himself. And why not? Hand-holding, throat-rubbing, talking with their foreheads touching… Oh, yeah… Isabel was no doubt thoroughly convinced that Mel was cheating on Cole with him. Like he did not have enough worries.

Cole was indeed in the war-room, but he was not working. His head was resting on the only clear portion of his entire work-table, his eyes closed.

"Shallat? _Anatha_," he mumbled in his sleep. "Thema hwa? Neelan? Shallat?"

"What's he saying?" Vic whispered, frowning. Judging by the look on the Cirronian's face, he was not enjoying his dream in the least.

Mel shook her head and hurried to Cole's side. She knew exactly what his dream must have been about, that poor little girl. She did not know _much_ Cirronian, but she knew enough. 'Shallat': child. 'Neelan': can you hear me?

"Tausha?" she whispered, touching his shoulder.

He snapped awake and jerked into a sitting position, grabbing her wrist and regarding her warily. His expression turned immediately apologetic.

"Taushi, I'm sorry," he whispered, rising and wrapping his hands gently around her arms. "I was… dreaming."

"You were remembering," Mel whispered, nodding and touching his forehead. She released soothing energy, sensing that he needed it.

He nodded faintly. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

"Vic is here," Mel told him gently. "He needs to talk to you."

Cole looked up, startled and noticing Vic for the first time. "Vic, how is Detective Cruz?"

"She was resting comfortably when I left the hospital."

"Good. That's good." Cole smiled faintly, nodding. "Mel, could you please get me another glass of water with sugar?" Cole asked.

"Sure, Cole. Then I should probably get back to the bar. We're getting busy and the girls may need help."

"That sounds good, Mel," Cole told her as she left the war-room. When she returned, he added, "Thank you, Mel. I'll be down to help after I've talked to Vic."

"Are you rested enough?" Mel asked.

"Yes, Mel. I feel much stronger already." He smiled reassuringly, waiting until she had left the apartment to speak again. "Vic, Kaehto may attempt another attack on Detective Cruz."

"Are you sure?"

"No," Cole admitted. "But I would not be surprised. Late in his criminal career, he became… especially fond of the wives and daughters of law enforcement personnel." 

Vic knew that. Most of the missing women had been the daughters of cops. "Yeah, Cole, but Mar isn't my wife."

"For a Cirronian, a lover is the same as a wife."

"She's _not_ my lover," he snapped defensively, shaking his head.

Cole frowned, startled. "But… you _love_ each other."

"Yeah, but right now it's complicated… There's this rule. I can't sleep with my partner."

Cole frowned, not sure why there would _be_ such a rule, but not pressing the point. "He's been watching her, hasn't he?"

"How did you know?" Vic asked.

"Kaehto never attempted to take a woman without becoming familiar with her first. It… adds to his sense of intimacy with her."

"That is _sick_," Vic announced.

"How long has he been watching her?"

"Three nights. Since the day we started following him."

"Vic, did he see anything that might lead him to suspect that Detective Cruz _is_ you lover?" he asked gently. "He is more likely to come for her again if he thinks you are."

Vic closed his eyes. "He… _knows_ we aren't."

"He knows? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Cole." Vic nodded weakly. "He's been… _watching _us together. He knows exactly how far we've been; he was taunting me with it, that… that I go home alone and Mar has to take cold showers." He shrugged. "It's a human thing--"

"I know about cold showers, Vic." Cole nodded. "But if Detective Cruz really is taking cold showers after you leave…" he began hesitantly.

"Hey, we keep our clothes on! I mean, yeah, we kiss and we… you know… you know, we… touch through our clothes, but…" He shook his head.

Cole frowned. "Go back to the hospital, Vic," he ordered, reaching for his Collector. "I'll be there in a little while."

"No, man!" Vic protested, panicked for Maria's sake. "That doesn't count! We _aren't_ lovers… Maria isn't my wife."

"It's pre-mating behavior, Vic. He thinks you're engaged," Cole told him.

"Damn it." Vic turned and ran from the apartment without another word.

Cole sighed and bent over his computer, recording another transmission. "Eijan, could you get this to Kallissa, please? Based on new information, Kallissa, I think I know who Kaehto's next intended target is. I'm going to her now. Mel will be able to contact me with anything you have. Eijan can get you in touch with Mel and Mel can get any information you have back to me. Please make all speed. Out." He sighed deeply and sent the transmission before leaving the apartment.

"Cole! What's going on?" Mel asked, running to him as soon as he entered the barroom. Vic had left a few moments earlier without so much as glancing her way.

"I think Kaehto is going to try for Detective Cruz again, Mel. I need to go to the hospital where she is."

"Okay." Mel nodded faintly. "You get this bastard, Cole."

"I plan on it, Mel." He touched her throat lightly. "Do you have your atomizer?" 

"Mmm." Mel nodded. "And I _will_ use it if I have to."

"Good. You know how to sense the difference between a human and a fugitive. You use it on _any_ fugitive who walks in here and I don't care if there _are_ witnesses."

"Cole," Mel began, regarding him with wide eyes. "I can _not_ use a damned phaser on a fugitive in a bar full of people," she protested.

"If he is here to take you, it will not be hard to get him alone. Simply allow him to see you going into the storage room and he will follow." He sighed. "I wish I did not have to leave you alone, Mel."

"Hey, I'm not unarmed and I'm in a way better position to deal with a fugitive now," she pointed out gently. "You've taught me so much. I'll be fine."

"Okay." He nodded faintly. "I'll see you in a few hours."

***

"Hey, welcome back," Maria greeted Vic with a smile, putting down the book she had been reading.

"I stopped by your place, got you a change of clothes," Vic told her, holding up a small duffle-bag.

"And then you went to the Watchfire."

"How the hell…"

Maria chuckled and shook her head. "It was a lucky guess, Vicky. If you aren't working or with me, you're usually there with your new compadre Cole or your old novia Mel."

Vic frowned faintly. "Mar, you know it's over with Mel and I, right? I mean, she and Cole…"

Maria smiled faintly, nodding. "I _know_, Vicky," she told him firmly. "I know. When I started noticing how much time you spent there… I was less worried that it was you and Mel than I was about how much alcohol you might have been consuming while there. I mean, you were acting pretty oddly…"

"Yeah, but you understand this deal with me and Cole, right? You're not worried any more?"

"Not about you drinking too much, no. But I absolutely _hate_ that you aren't being level with me about what Cole's real story is."

"Mar, I've _told_ you," Vic protested. 

"Yeah. He's INS and _I_ am the Virgin of Guadalupe." She rolled her eyes. "I wasn't born yesterday, Vicky. Cole Hauser is no more INS than I am. _It does not compute_. Gregory James was _not_ an illegal; he was a citizen, US born and bred. Likewise William Brandon. And I _know_ that you were at the train yards the day those soldiers were attacked."

  
He shifted uncomfortably. "Don't be ridiculous, Mar."

"That lacked a _lot_ of conviction. And I notice that you didn't bother denying the William Brandon connection," she murmured, not looking at him. 

"Mar," he began.

"Honestly is an important thing in a relationship, Vic. Now, you _promised_ me that you'd level as soon as you could. I've been patient, _tried_ to be, but I don't like getting frozen out, either," she told him gently.

"I can't. Not yet. Besides, why would you think that Cole has _anything_ to do with Brandon?"

"He was in that warehouse this morning. I _saw_ him before Brandon nailed me on the head. And I heard him talking to you afterwards. 'Bring her to a hospital, make sure she's well guarded. We'll talk soon. We have a lot to discuss.' Sound familiar?"

Vic inhaled deeply. "I can't lie to you, Mar. He was there, yeah. And he _is_ after Brandon. And _no_, he's _not_ INS. But you _have_ to trust me when I say that he's one of us."

"He won't let you tell me, will he?"

"He needs to maintain his cover, Mar. It's important for his safety and Mel's _and_ ours at this point."

  
"DEA? Just nod or shake your head, Vicky."

Vic hesitated. She started playing twenty questions with him and he was screwed. He did not have to say a word and she would know if her questions were hitting home. It might never occur to her that Cole was not human, but she would learn a lot of _other_ 'not's about him in the meantime. 

"DEA? Why would you think that, Mar?"

"It's a new drug, has to be. What connects James and Brandon? They were both normal guys not so long ago. Now they're unnaturally strong killing machines."

"You are correct, Detective Cruz."

"Cole," Vic greeted him, nodding. "Hey."

"Hello, Vic," Cole greeted him. "Hello, Detective Cruz. You are correct. The thing that connects the people I am searching for _is_ this change you speak of," he told her quietly. 

Maria nodded slowly, sitting up. "But you're not DEA, are you?"

  
He smiled and shook his head. "No, Detective Cruz. And I am not INS, either." He gave an apologetic shrug. "The deception was necessary for my safety and Mel's. It _remains_ necessary for the safety of too many others to name."

"Does Vic know the whole story?"

"He does." Cole nodded. "He stumbled onto the truth while pursuing Gregory James."

Vic nodded. "He blew his cover saving my life, Mar. You saw what James did to me. He was _going_ to kill me until Cole showed up."

"So Cole rescues you and brings you home. To the Watchfire." Maria nodded faintly. "Which is why you went there before the hospital?" 

Vic nodded. "He told me the whole story then. Mel wasn't too happy about that… But… well, once I knew what was _really_ going on, I _had_ to get involved. It wasn't something I could just walk away from or close my eyes to."

Maria shook her head. Of course he could not. Vic was like that. "Is it drugs?" she asked Cole.

"No, Detective," Cole answered. "But it _is_, as I have said, these behavioral shifts that interest me."

Maria considered. "Are these 'behavioral shifts' localized to Chicago?"  


"No. They occur throughout this country as well as in England. Possibly elsewhere…"

"Are you British?"

"I can't answer that," Cole told her quietly.

Vic rubbed his mouth to cover his smile. Cirronians might have been horrible liars, but this one was a master of misdirection. He had mentioned England intentionally, a staunch ally of the US whose law enforcement officials, if operating in the States, would be in close contact with local law enforcement, undercover or otherwise.

Maria shrugged. "Fair enough. Guess it's a start."

Cole smiled warmly down at her, nodding. "Are you feeling better?"

"Lots better. Still pretty drained, but better."

"I'm glad." Cole smiled and touched her forehead, assuring himself that she was indeed better. He nodded to himself. "Vic, Maria should be under guard until she is better."

"I hardly think that's necessary," Maria protested, shaking her head.

"It is," Cole told her simply. "He has been following you for at least three days now and he is known to observe his victims for a week or more before he takes them. You are weakened now and therefore vulnerable. He may advance his timetable if he thinks he can more easily take you now."

"He's right, Mar. That guy was definitely taking an interest in you. I don't like the fact that he knows--"

"It's _fine_, Vicky," Maria interrupted, shaking her head. "I don't need protection; I need _sleep_."

"If you're sure, Detective Cruz," Cole said softly, turning to leave. "Good night."

"Cole!" Vic protested, following him into the hallway. "Come on. If what you're saying is true, we _have_ to keep an eye on her…"

"We will," Cole assured him, smiling. "We just won't _tell_ her that we are."


	3. Chapter 3

****

Chapter 3

"What do we do if he _does_ come after her?" Vic whispered to Cole, staring at the closed door to the room where Maria was resting.

"If he comes I will Collect his life-force, Vic," Cole told him simply.

"You really think he'll be in any shape to come after her tonight?" Vic asked, shifting in the hard hospital chair. "I mean, he took two bullets…"

"They didn't even slow him down," Cole pointed out gently, shaking his head. "Besides, he's Cirronian. The damage is probably already completely healed."

Vic sighed and closed his eyes, nodding. "So, tell me about this guy. From what Mel's been telling me, Cirronians are _supposed_ to be the good guys. So what's his problem?"

"Every species has good and bad people," Cole told him, shrugging. "Mine is no exception. There _are_ Cirronian criminals. Almost always, they are nonviolent, but Kaehto is different."

"Different how? Why?" 

"There is a chemical that his brain does not produce. It makes him… less than Cirronian." 

"Less than Cirronian?" Vic repeated.

Cole nodded, his expression grim. "He may _look_ Cirronian, Vic, but he is _not_. He is an accident of nature, an abomination."

Vic was a little startled by the vehemence in Cole's normally gentle tone. "You seem to be taking this guy's crimes pretty personally." 

"He is everything a Cirronian should _not_ be!" Cole whispered harshly. "He is the first Cirronian serial killer in a hundred-thousand years. He killed nine girls on Cirron, raped more…" He trailed off, shivering and closing his eyes. "He's the first Cirronian rapist in our history," he added, shaking his head.

Vic's eyes widened faintly. "You mean you guys don't have rape?"

"No, Vic. Many people do not believe it is possible for a Cirronian man to forcibly join with a woman. It _is_, technically, but the way these things are structured it simply never occurs."

"What do you mean? I mean either you can or you can't, right?"

Cole nodded slowly, closing his eyes. "Physiologically it is possible. Socially it is not."

  
"Okay, that makes _no_ sense."

"No, I guess it wouldn't to a human male," Cole agreed.

  
"Hey!" Vic protested, offended.

"Cirron is a matriarchy, Vic," Cole explained softly. "Women control our society and our families. No man would dream of even _approaching_ a female without her permission. Certainly he would never persevere in a courtship after he had been rejected. And to _force_ himself on her…" 

  
"It _has_ to happen, Cole," Vic said. "I mean, no matter how much your average Cirronian respects women in general--"

"Men are socialized in such a way that they are psychologically unable to initiate a joining without permission. No matter how little or how much we respect a female, we can not. Most Cirronians, including myself until after Kaehto, don't even realize that it is physically possible." 

"Now I'm lost," Vic said.

Cole nodded, considering. He did a quick scan of the hallway to assure himself that they were alone. "Cirronians do not mate like any other species," he began. "For all other species, the act is primarily physical. Cirronians mate by joining… occupying the same space."

"Okay…"

"We are composed of light and energy, Vic, but we _do_ have physical bodies. Light is made of particles, in our case packed _very_ densely. In order to occupy the same space at once, for our energies to join, it is necessary to change that. There is a physiological shift that makes our bodies… well, less dense, essentially. So that both can occupy the same space at once. Like turning ice into steam."

"Ah, okay. So once that happens you can… join?"

"Yes." Cole nodded. "This change can only be accomplished by a male Cirronian."

  
"The woman remains solid?"

"No. Neither is substantial when the joining occurs, but a female can not change her own physiology. The male must change hers and then his own." 

"Ah, got you. But if it's completely in the guy's hands, then that makes it possible for him to join with a woman against her will, right?"

"In theory, yes." Cole nodded, his expression bleak. "As Kaehto discovered. But it's _not_ something that Cirronians know. There is a gesture of permission that a female gives which most believe is what _allows_ a male to change her." He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "It has been practiced by our people for so long that we didn't know that there was another way. We didn't _understand_ that the gesture of permission is not necessary…"

"Until Kaehto?"

"Until Kaehto," he agreed quietly.

"You okay, man?" Vic asked gently. The Cirronian was obviously shaken.

Cole nodded. "Before Cirronians were Cirronians… we were animals, creatures without culture or morality. And it… it still lies within us to become so. Once it must have always been that way. With so many animal species, a male takes a chosen female by force to produce offspring. She has _no_ choice in the matter because he is stronger and faster. When a Cirronian woman is made ready, she can't resist. She is physically unable to. It's why the gesture of permission has become such an important part of our culture, to protect our females the only way we could."

"You're telling me that your culture evolved as a matriarchy to keep women from getting raped?"

"That was a side effect, but it was important to us that we develop that way for other reasons." Cole shrugged. "Men are faster, stronger. _Physically_, we are more powerful. Females, though… _theirs_ is the real power, that of _life_. They nurture our children within their bodies, and they conceive _only_ when they wish to."

"Blackmail potential abounds," Vic muttered.

"It does," Cole agreed simply. "Once females learned to control whether or not they conceived, it became important to keep them happy to keep our people from dying off. A woman will not conceive a child with a man that she is unhappy with. So she chooses a man she _will_ be happy with and she gifts him with children to express her approval. It's why women are everything to us, because they give us children. Without children, there is no family. Without family, there is no society."

Vic nodded slowly. Cole was, basically, saying that Kaehto's actions threatened the very basis of Cirronian society. On some level, the Cirronian must have considered such crimes a threat to his people's very existence. 

"And you never realized that this was even possible until you caught Kaehto?" Vic asked.

"It was shocking to us all. I had been a teacher once, which made it easier for me to understand on an academic level. I understood that we had developed as a matriarchy to ensure that there would be children. And as an academic I could understand that the gesture of permission was _not_ necessary. But as a husband and father… I could not. I didn't _want_ to understand or believe it. I had a wife, a daughter whose body would have changed in a few years…" He shrugged. "We decided, the five of us who knew, that we would never speak of it, that the knowledge was too dangerous. Kaehto was never tried for rape, just murder."

"So you've just kept it a secret for the last… what, ten years?"

"Eleven." Cole nodded. "It was months before I could join with my wife again… She thought I was angry with her over something, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth." 

"You never talked about it to anyone?" Vic asked. "Not even a police shrink? Uh, psychologist?"

Cole shook his head faintly. "They made us all go to a psychologist for many months, but I never spoke of it to her either. None of us did. I sometimes spoke of it to Kallissa, but…" He shrugged.

"Kallissa?"

"She was… my partner."

Vic raised an eyebrow at Cole's slight pause, but did not comment. "How'd she take it? I mean, as a woman…"

"I think it bothered me more than it bothered her." Cole shrugged again. "Or, at least, she was still able to join with her husband. She conceived her first child a short time later. As abhorrent as Kaehto's crimes were to her, she was able to accept that it _was_ only an anomaly. She kept telling me so, too. When that didn't work…" He shook his head, smiling faintly.

"What?"

Cole's smile widened and he bowed his head. "She started offering to lend her husband to my wife." 

  
Vic chuckled and shook his head. "So this Kallissa woman is a lot like Mar with the whole twisted sense of humor?"

"Yes, Vic." Cole smiled and nodded. "Kallissa was very much like Detective Cruz. Her sense of humor was unique and she was absolutely _beautiful_." 

Vic blinked. "You think Mar's beautiful?" 

Cole's response was a noncommittal, "For a human."

Vic laughed at that comment. "Okay… I'm not sure if I should be insulted or not, Cole, buddy."

Cole frowned. "There is nothing to be insulted about, Vic," he pointed out. "That she is beautiful does not mean that I am interested in her. It's an aesthetic distinction for me anyway. Human standards of beauty can't be expected to apply to Cirronians." 

Vic shrugged. Cole was right. Having seen what Cirronians looked like, knowing that Cole also considered the reptilian Dessarians to be attractive, Vic had no trouble believing that humans probably completely failed to do it for him. Except for Mel, of course, which made him wonder.

"Okay. So, what _does_ a Cirronian look for in a human?"

Cole smiled faintly. "You are asking what _I_ find attractive in humans?"

  
"Hey, this is how human cops kill time on details like this. They talk to each other."

Cole smiled and nodded. "Kallissa and I used to talk frequently as well." He paused for a moment, then his smile widened. "Freckles, Vic."

Vic laughed. "You think _freckles_ are hot?" 

Cole nodded. "Yes, Vic," he affirmed, grinning. "_Freckles…_"

"Guess that explains your attraction to Mel. Because she is _covered_ in them…" Vic stopped, his eyes widening as it occurred to him that he was talking about Mel's body to Mel's boyfriend. "Ah, sorry…"

"Why, Vic?" Cole asked blankly. 

"Mmm, never mind." Vic inhaled deeply and shook his head. "Doesn't matter."

"Oh, yes, and pale eyes," Cole added.

Vic frowned for a moment "So basically you've modeled your whole idea of what beautiful is around what Mel looks like?"

"Not really, Vic." He considered. "I have _always_ been unusual in considering pale eyes attractive. The freckles were different… I was intrigued, especially after I learned that not all human females were spotted."

"Spots?" Vic laughed. "Has _Mel_ ever heard you call them that? Because she would _freak_. She _hates_ that she has freckles badly enough without you going around saying she's _spotted_."

"Mel frequently has silly ideas," Cole said, nodding.

"Don't let her hear you say _that_ either," Vic advised.

Cole smiled faintly. "They aren't very similar," he commented after a few minutes spent in silence. 

"Huh?"

"Mel and Detective Cruz. They aren't very similar." 

"Guess not." Vic shrugged. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Just curious."

"About?"

"If you are attracted to women like Mel, why are you also attracted to women like Detective Cruz?"

"Huh?" Vic frowned. "What do you mean?"

"They are very different women. They look different, they behave differently…"

"So?" 

"It just seems strange to me that you should be attracted to both."

  
"Why? They're both beautiful, both intelligent, both kind…"

Cole nodded and lapsed into silence again.

"Wonder what Mel looks for in a guy anyway," Vic remarked quietly. "Damned if I can figure it out."

"Gentle hands and the ability to cry at the end of 'An Affair to Remember'," Cole provided absently. 

Vic could not quite look at Cole as he asked, "She… told you that?"

"Yes, Vic."  


"She tell you anything else?"

"Oh, yes, Vic. She mentioned several traits that she finds attractive." 

"And crying during chick-flicks was up there, was it?"

Cole nodded. "Yes, Vic. Did you cry at the end of 'An Affair to Remember', too, Vic?"

Vic bit his lower lip. "Can we talk about something else now?"

***

"You let him see your face?" Zin asked Kaehto, shaking his head. "_Why?_"

The Cirronian ignored the surgeon trying to fish a bullet out of his left shoulder and shrugged helplessly. "No one mentioned that Daggon was going to show… I was just trying to take the lovely Maria like we agreed when he shows up out of nowhere. I panicked. Sorry," he added cheerfully, shrugging again. 

"Would you _hold still_?" the surgeon demanded, shaking his head in annoyance. "You're just making the tissue damage worse!"

"So? Not like I can't fix it," Kaehto pointed out blithely before returning his attention to Zin. "You know, I tried, boss. She _was_ dead when I left her."

"She was dead when you left her with another _Cirronian_," Zin snapped, shaking his head. "Who, _predictably_, brought her back to life. Do better next time."

"No sweat, Zin. She's too _cute_ to leave at one attempt." His smile widened. "Besides, she sleeps in silk…"

Zin's expression reflected distaste but he did not comment. "And I'd like her to _stay_ dead this time," he added over his shoulder, sweeping from the room.

Lana fell into step beside him immediately. "Now, you know, I am usually the first to support your plans, Zin, but wouldn't it be easier to just let me send a team down to the precinct and take them both out at once?"

"I _have_ Kaehto. I might as well exploit his… unique talents," Zin pointed out mildly. 

Lana shrugged. "Mmm, you could have a point, I suppose, but are you _certain_ that Cruz's murder will effectively drive Bruno to distraction? What if it only increases his desire to stop us?"

"I have dealt with bereaved police officers before," Zin reminded her gently.

"Victor Bruno is _not_ Kedriss Daggon. The same tactics may not work on him…" she warned gently.

"Lana," Zin sighed, turning to face her. "Dear…"

"Sir?" 

Zin reached up and gently cradled her face in his hands, his expression thoughtful. "And how would _you_ handle him, my dear?"

"A single bullet each to the back of the head would be cost-effective," she suggested, smiling faintly.

"It would," he agreed, nodding faintly and gently caressing her face. "But… Victor Bruno has been hounding us for so long, Lana," he told her, shaking his head. "He has arrested our operatives, thwarted our people, and is generally becoming too familiar with our organization. _Especially_ now that he knows the truth, he _can't_ be allowed to continue on in this way. He must have something else to occupy his attention."

"And your chance to deprive him of the woman he loves is an added bonus?"

"Mmm." Zin smiled and nodded. "Lana, my dear, I am _not_ above the desire for petty revenge…"

Lana's smile grew. "Of course not. You wouldn't be a very good Vardian if you were."

"Indeed not, my dear." He chuckled and gently pushed her away, shaking his head. "Monitor this situation. I no longer repose full trust in Kaehto." 

"Kindly clarify," she requested.

"He seemed… distracted. He may deviate from his instructions."

"His death will be slow if he does," she assured him. 

"No… If he deviates, you will allow me to handle it."

She raised an eyebrow. "You have a contingency? And I don't know about it?" Lana shook her head and chuckled. "Zin, Zin, Zin…"

"I know, I know." Zin bowed his head in mock-apology, covering his heart with one hand.

Lana's gentle laugh brought a smile to his face, in spite of his attempt to behave contritely. He laughed along with her, nuzzling her cheek and pulling her into a loose hug. Lana went willingly, of course, exactly as she always did. Physical distance had never been important to her, and he knew it. 

"What would I do without you?" he chuckled. 

"Mmm, have fewer fights with your wife?" came the standard reply to the query. Lana smiled sweetly up at him as she delivered the retort, knowing that he would not take it any more seriously than he ever did. She kept her opinion of the female in question to herself, winking at Zin as she pulled away. "I will, of course, make you aware if Kaehto fails to follow your instructions," she assured Zin, easily changing the subject.

His low growl was one of amusement at her words rather than frustration at her withdraw. "You do that," he told her, nodding. "Kaehto is like _all_ of his people. Lacking in any ambition beyond his own pleasure, childlike in his world view…"

"Relying on a Cirronian is a dangerous thing, Zin," she pointed out gently. "_Especially_ in matters of such import…"

"I have my reasons," he told her firmly, shaking his head faintly.

"Those reasons wouldn't happen to include a certain Cirronian Tracker?" Lana ventured, grinning.

"They very well might. Kaehto will serve as a useful distraction to him. We buy ourselves weeks without sacrificing anyone of value or talent. I can promise you that Daggon will not pursue any other until Kaehto is safely contained. We keep him distracted _and_ we solve our little problem with the Chicago PD. What more could a man ask?"

"What more indeed." Lana nodded faintly. "But I hope it does not offend you if I hold out no great hopes of success for him. I'll keep those two bullets in reserve."

"You do that, my dear," he laughed, pulling her into another hug and resting his forehead against hers. "You do that."

***

When his cell-phone started ringing, Cole answered quickly, not wishing to wake the human dozing beside him. "Yes, Mel?"

"Cole, I just talked to Eijan."

"And Kallissa?"

"Eijan talked to her right before she called. Cole, Kallissa doesn't think that Kaehto will go after Maria again. She says that he's _never_ made more than one attempt to abduct any of his victims. If he fails and is detected…"

"Then his victim is put on her guard against him," Cole finished for her, nodding to himself. "Yes, Mel. I'm familiar with this aspect of his behavior."

"Then why bother?"

Cole rose and walked a few feet down the hall and away from Vic before speaking. "Because he is not acting like himself, Mel. He is deviating from patterns he has always before followed. He spends less time on selection, but more time with each victim once he has taken her. The pains he inflicts are different, more brutal. Something has changed, Mel."

"But what?"

  
"I don't know yet, Mel. I am going to have to sit down with his profile."

"You don't _know_ it?" she asked, surprised.

"No, Mel. But I will learn quickly. Do not worry."

"Hmm. How's Vic holding up?"

"He's sleeping now. I think he will be relieved that Kaehto will probably not come after Detective Cruz again."

  
"I'll bet. He really loves her, Cole."

"I know he does, Mel." Cole looked up, aware that the human was awake and watching him curiously. "Vic is awake now, Mel. I should go."

"Okay, Cole. You just…"

"I will reassure him but also put him on guard, Mel," Cole told her. "No harm will come to Detective Cruz with Vic guarding her, and as long as she is safe so is his heart, Mel. _Both_ will be fine."

  
"Okay. Come home soon, baby."

  
"I will, Mel. And you should get some sleep," he advised.  


"Wake me when you get back."

"I will, Mel. Good night, Mel." Cole turned off the cell-phone and returned to where Vic was sitting. "Kallissa and Eijan do not believe that Kaehto will make another attempt on Detective Cruz."

"What do _you_ think?" Vic asked, watching him carefully.

"I think that Kallissa is a perceptive woman who is usually correct in such matters." He paused. "But it might be better, Vic, if you were to stay with her until I capture Kaehto."

"Planned on it anyway," Vic assured him, nodding. "Now why don't you get home to Mel, man? There's no reason for you to stay here if Kaehto's not going to show."

Cole nodded slowly. "You will call me if you need anything or if you think he may be near."

"You bet. I'm not going to play games with her life, that's for damned sure."

Cole nodded and reached for his jacket. "Vic," he began slowly.

"Yeah?"

"I have known _many_ kinds of love in my life… All of them are rare and precious, but none is so wonderful as the kind of love you have for Detective Cruz. I have felt it before, more than once, and it is _always_ frightening. But it is worth it, too, Vic. You don't have to be afraid."

"You been talking to Mel?"

"No, Vic." Cole shook his head gently. "But I know what I saw when she was dead. Your love for her is obvious, and so is your fear that you may lose her. But I know from experience that you will lose more if you never speak it. Goodnight, Vic," he murmured, leaving the human.


	4. Chapter 4

****

Chapter 4

"Cole?"

  
"Yes, Mel. Go back to sleep now," he urged gently, slipping into bed next to her. He needed a few hours near her to center his turbulent emotions before he would be able to focus on anything. In fact, a few hours of sleep would probably not hurt after everything that had passed today either.

Mel snuggled into his arms. "Eijan's been talking to Kallissa. She's worried about you, Cole." 

"Eijan _always_ worries," he told her, kissing the top of her head. "She is the kind of woman who is the _reason_ that mother Enixians are stereotyped in the first place."

"Cole, she says that Kallissa is pretty worried, too." She looked up at him. "Want to talk about it?"

"No." He shook his head.

  
"Eijan says that you _never_ talked about it. She says that it was the most brutal string of murders ever seen on Cirron."

"She's right," Cole said quietly. 

"She told me that you were afraid to be with your wife for a long time after that," Mel whispered, resting her hand against his heart. "That true, sweetheart?"

"Eijan does not speak words that aren't true." He tightened his grip on her slightly. "Tracking Kaehto forced me to accept many things I would rather not have, Mel. Until now, it was honestly easier for me to just ignore those things and pretend that he never existed." He shook his head. "The thought of such things being done to Ashi and Nallia… There were times I couldn't even take food."

"I know how you feel about crimes against women and children. That must have been so much harder for you."

"It was, Mel. I had _seen_ rape before, in other species, but it was… different. I never would have done anything like it, but I _could_ have. I didn't even realize right away the effect it had on me, not until later with Nallia." He shrugged. "I readied her for our joining and then I had an anxiety attack. It took _months_ for me to be ready again. She was… very confused, I think, Mel. She wanted to know if I was angry with her or… dissatisfied in some way."

"You didn't tell her?" Mel asked gently.

"How could I, Mel? When no other Cirronians even knew such a thing was possible, how could I tell my beautiful little Nallia that it _was_? Even if she could have brought herself to accept me again, she would have been so scared for Ashi's sake…"

"So you bore it alone." Mel sighed and shook her head, gently drawing his face to hers. "You do that so much, Cole… You try to bear the weight of the universe all by yourself so others won't have to."

"She was not like you, Mel. Not like Kallissa. She would not have understood. It would have _frightened_ her. I never wanted her to be afraid. Not ever; not of anything." 

"You're a good man," she whispered. "Nallia was lucky to have you."

"She could have married so much better."  


Mel smiled. "I doubt it."

"Nallia was beautiful and talented. She could have had her choice of any man on Cirron. She rejected so many that I was scared to approach her. Then she came to me." Cole chuckled and shook his head. "She was _so_ talented, Mel."

"You're missing her a lot lately, aren't you?" she asked gently, caressing his cheeks.

"Yes, Mel. She was… so Cirronian."

"Beautiful and gentle and delicate." Mel nodded her understanding. "Could I _be_ more different?" she asked with a smile.

"You could lack compassion and intelligence and pride, Mel. Then you would be _much_ more different from Nallia. As different as you are on the surface, you are very similar in every way that matters. You would have been the best of friends."

"I kind of feel like we are," Mel whispered, kissing him gently. "Get some rest, Cole. You must still be exhausted." 

He paused for a long moment. "I… don't want to rest yet, Mel. I want to make love to my wife."

"Because you need to be close to me or because you think you need to prove that you _can_?" she asked gently. 

Cole was not in the kind of mood he typically was when he wanted to make love. Normally playful and carefree, he was grave and reflective tonight, dwelling on the past and the future instead of the now. Mel had quickly learned that, as a rule of thumb, if they talked about Nallia or Ashi in the bedroom, lovemaking was out. Talk of Zin usually produced the same effect, although the same was not true of any of the other fugitives. He could talk about his job, about her training, about Migar politics for hours and still feel like making love. But she could not recall him _ever_ having spoken of Nallia, even in passing, and then wanting to do more than cuddle or, more rarely, pet. For the Cirronian, it simply did not follow. Lovemaking was supposed to be a celebration of life, not a way to forget troubles.

He made a frustrated sound. She was perceptive, sometimes too much so. For the first time in his life, he had an ulterior motive for wanting to be with her, a reason other than the love he felt for his amazing new wife, and she had picked up on it without missing a beat. He decided to be honest rather than evasive, hoping she could understand. 

"He came between Nallia and I, Mel. If she had been a different kind of woman--"

"But she _wasn't_ and that's part of the reason you loved her, Cole." Mel sighed and shook her head. "Cole, no fugitive is _ever_ going to come between us, either. I promise you."

"You are as understanding as she was," Cole whispered, caressing her throat. "When I explained to her that it was _not_ that I did not wish to be joined with her, she only urged me to see a doctor in case I was ill. Then she told me that she would wait for as long as she needed to."

"No woman in her right mind would do anything _but_ wait for you, Cole. I did," Mel pointed out, closing her eyes as he continued to caress her. "And I would do it again," she assured him.

Cole smiled, falling in love again, as he did every time that Mel was Mel. "Even if I could not make love to you, Mel, I would still wish to touch you and hold you at night," he whispered, gently pushing her onto her back. "I _can_, though. And I wish to if you will have me."

"Always," she murmured, reaching up and cradling his face as he moved to lean over her. "Any time you want to, but _only_ because you want to, Cole. You don't have anything to prove to me any more than you had anything to prove to Nallia. It's not why we fell in love with you, either of us."

He smiled and nodded, nuzzling her throat. "I know, Mel. Love like ours is not physical first. If it were, it would be less. It would be nothing." 

"It would," she agreed, reaching up and tracing the lines of his chest. "Have I told you that you're beautiful lately?" she asked, grinning.

"About five seconds ago," he answered gravely.

Mel's smile faded slightly when his eyes failed to laugh as they normally did when he joked. "You sure you're okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned. Her hands reached for his throat of their own accord.

"Always in your arms am I okay, Mel," he murmured, his hand moving from her throat to her stomach. 

He caressed the sensitive skin below her belly-button for a moment, fully intending the touch to be only the beginning of the evening's activities. Then, physical and emotional exhaustion chose that moment to make themselves known, attacking him in tandem with enough force to take his breath away. With a sob, he roughly gathered her into his arms, pulling her against his chest and shaking.

"Shh, shh," she whispered, sitting upright and pulling him with her, rocking him as he clung to her. "It's okay, baby."

"Okay," he repeated, amazed when the tears he had anticipated failed to come, grateful that he was too exhausted even to weep. "Always in your arms am I okay," he repeated, nodding. He rested his cheek on her shoulder, abruptly _far_ too weary to move. "So tired, Mel…"

"Do you want me to get you another glass of sugar-water?" she offered gently. "Or do you just want me to keep hanging on?"

He shook his head, tightening his arms around her slender frame.

"Okay." Mel nodded and maneuvered them both back into a prone position. "If you're tired, you should sleep," she directed. "And I promise you that I will be right here holding you when you wake up, okay?"

"Thank you, Mel." He smiled meekly up at her. "May we make love in the morning?" he asked hopefully. "When I am rested?"

"If you want to." She kissed him tenderly. "Now get some rest, baby."

  
"Yes, Mel."

For the first time since she had accepted him into her bed, Cole fell asleep in Mel's arms instead of the other way around. If he had not been so exhausted, he knew, her protective embrace would have been a source of incredible emotional intensity, passion. As it was, being wrapped in her arms was a source of comfort and strength. He struggled against sleep, savoring that which her touch offered, but eventually succumbed. 

When he had, when she was sure Cole was actually _asleep_ and not unconscious or withdrawn into his own mind, Mel let out a shaky sigh, relieved. His continued training of her, her increasing awareness of her own senses, her growing empathy for the man she thought of as her husband… all combined to tell her that he should have been almost comatose after bringing Maria back this morning. The drain on Cole had left him weaker than she had ever seen the Cirronian. Since she had learned to sense his life-force, she had certainly never felt anything even _half_ so severe, not even when he was so drained that he needed to spend _hours_ in deep-cycle meditation to recover. Emotional exhaustion may have been manifesting itself more visibly, but it was symptom more than disease. 

Not for the first time, she was absolutely amazed by the sheer stubborn tenacity that he possessed. He had been left so weak that he should not have been able to make it back to the Watchfire. Mel was honestly surprised that he had not collapsed in the warehouse in front of Vic. She knew that he had been trying to make it up the stairs so as not to alarm anyone, but the flesh had been less willing than the spirit. That he made it as far as he had said it all about exactly how strong-willed he could be. He had been on the verge of collapse since morning, yet he had spent _hours_ that evening sitting up with Vic at the hospital, determined to keep Maria Cruz safe from harm. Not for the first time since he had come into her life, Mel was afraid for him. But, for once, she was less scared of any external threat than she was by the threat he posed to himself through his sheer dedication to his cause.

***

"Thanks for the ride home, Vicky," Maria said, tossing her overnight bag onto the couch and walking into the kitchen. "You want beer or soda?"

"Beer if you have it," he said, following her into the other room. 

"Stop hovering," she suggested, shaking her head and handing him a bottle. "He's not hiding in the refrigerator. I checked."

Vic chuckled and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, Mar. I hover when I…" He trailed off.

"Uh… yeah." Maria nodded faintly and extended her hand, pulling it back before it reached him.

"Mar?" Vic asked, startled by the reversal. He looked her over, concerned. She was shaking. Putting the bottle down, he gathered her into his arms. "Shit, sweetie, what's wrong?" he asked gently.

"How long was I dead for?" she whispered, staring up at him with wide eyes. "I mean… I _was_ dead, wasn't I?"

"I didn't want to tell you," he explained. "How did you…"

"I felt it. I… it was like… when you wake up in the morning, and it's winter. It's still dark out, so your room's completely black, and you… the air is cold, but _you_ aren't because you're wrapped in a warm quilt. And you're warm and it's quiet and you're just completely content and you don't _ever_ want to get up. You know that feeling I mean? When you just _don't_ want to get up?"

"Yeah." Vic nodded weakly. "I know that feeling."

She buried her face in his shoulder and whispered, "I didn't know I was dead. It felt _so nice_. It wasn't like it was supposed to be: no light, no tunnel, no Saints or relatives. I didn't know I was dead and _I didn't want to get up_…"

  
"I know. We almost lost you," he whispered, his voice breaking.

Tears falling freely, she swallowed and spoke again. "And then I heard your voice and felt your hands on my face."

"Yeah. Cole made me talk to you while he was… doing CPR."

"I thought I heard you say--"

"I love you," he interrupted.

  
She swallowed again and nodded. "Yeah, that. I thought I heard you say that you loved me."

Vic inhaled deeply. "You did. I do." When she did not answer, he closed his eyes and tightened his grip on her. "I love you, Maria Cruz," he whispered. "I do. Okay? I just… I love you, baby."

She looked up again, shaking her head and biting her lip. "Vic…"

"It's true," he told her firmly. "It's true and it's… it's something I guess I should have said a while ago." He closed his eyes. "The idea of losing you was like having my heart ripped out, Mar. No more tap-dancing because I like being friends and don't want to break in a new partner. I love you. I need you in my life."

Maria drew a deep breath and closed her eyes, nodding. "Te amas," she whispered, a single tear snaking down her cheek. "I love you." Shaking, she leaned against the counter. "Damn, that was harder than I thought it would be… You okay?"

"No. You?"

"Nope." Maria laughed and shook her head. "But my heart should start again in a few minutes, so I think I'll be fine." 

  
Vic laughed and approached her, bending and moving his face in front of her chest. "Hey, you stop that," he ordered firmly. "Mar functions better when you're in there beating." He swallowed as he felt her smooth hands on his face, forcing his head up. He found his lips inches from her own. "Hi there, Mar," he managed weakly.

"Shut up and kiss me," she ordered.

Vic nodded shakily and licked his lips, then frowned. "We've kissed before. Hell, we've done a lot more than that before. So why the hell am I so nervous about _this_ kiss?" he whispered.

"Because this time our clothes aren't going to stay on and we're not even going to _start_ on the couch," she answered gently. "You have a problem with that?" she asked, keeping her tone teasing enough to leave him with an out.

An 'out' he had no intention of taking, Maria realized as, instead of kissing her, he took her by the hand and led her to her room. Vic smiled at her, pulling her gently into his arms and bending to kiss her. Squaring her shoulders, she held up her hand, stopping him. Vic did not release his loose hold on her, but he straightened, leaning away from her a little and regarding her questioningly.

"There's, uh… something you should probably know," Maria explained. "I figured… you know, everything should be out on the table at the outset, right? No surprises that way. And it's not like this changes anything but it's also something you probably have a right to know…"

Vic raised an eyebrow at the nervous prattle. Maria Cruz. actually _nervous_? Unheard of in his experience. Whatever she had to tell him must have been big. He considered what it could possibly be and felt his heart sink. She was married, that had to be it. It was the only thing big enough to account for her discomfort. He had suspected that she was divorced based on some comments she had once made about a pregnancy and miscarriage during her service at Quantico, but she had never mentioned the man before, not once, and she had flat-out refused to answer his few questions on the subject. It must have been a horrible period in her life for her to be so closed-lipped about it. 

  
Wanting to put her at ease, he tried to joke. "If this is the part where you tell me you used to be a man, Mar…"

She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Nah. Used to be a Marine, remember? They won't let you into the Marines if you've had major surgery," she teased back. "I'm still pre-op."

They laughed together, hanging on to each other for support, the tension in the room completely vanishing. 

"So what's going on, Mar?" he asked gently after they had laughed themselves out. His expression turned serious and tender. "Because whatever it is, we'll find a way around it."

"It's… nothing to find a way around," she assured him with a smile, shaking her head. "Just means a little more work may be involved."

"How so?" he asked gently.

"I'm kind of… not at all experienced."

Vic smiled. "That's okay, Mar. I haven't been with that many women, either," he assured her. It was true, too; he could count them on one hand and still have room for Maria.

She closed her eyes. "And again, for emphasis. _Not at **all** experienced_, Vicky." She shrugged. "It's not like it's a big deal," she added quickly. "I just thought you should probably know. You know in case I, uh… uh, I… fail to please…"

"Beg your pardon?" he asked, frowning in confusion.

"I am a virgin," she said slowly, enunciating far more clearly than she really needed to.

"But you had a miscarriage," he protested. "You were _pregnant_."

Her eyes widened faintly. "Did I mention that to you?" she whispered, rising and walking to the bedroom window. "How drunk was I?"

"Yeah, you _did_ mention it." He followed her, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You _definitely_ never mentioned that you were a virgin, though. They can't both be true."

"Well, not... _technically_. Of course, when you're talking about the difference between theory and practice, a lot of things become possible."

Vic's eyes widened faintly at her tone of voice. "You were raped?" he whispered.

She nodded wordlessly. She had not wanted to mention it, but he had a right to know, too.

"Oh, my God, Mar…" He gathered her into his arms. "I'm so sorry."

She regarded him with an irritated expression. "Damn you, Vic! Don't you _dare_ get all… _sensitive_ on me! This is _not_ a problem. My lack of functional knowledge _may_ be, which is the only reason I brought it up, but…" She shook her head.

"You never told me."

"That's because it's not a big deal."  


"Like hell it's not! Some bastard _violates_ you and you try to tell me it's no big deal?"

"It was _ten years_ ago!" she snapped. "And my _only_ regret is that my baby died. You understand me? It is _not_ a big deal…"

"If it's not a big deal, why haven't you ever been with a man of your own free will? You can't tell me the two are unrelated."

"Okay." Maria closed her eyes and shrugged. "So maybe the two _are_ a little related. Maybe I stopped trusting men for a long time. And… maybe it took a man looking at me as his partner, his _equal_ rather than just as a beautiful woman to change that."

Vic sighed deeply, hugging her close. "Are you_ sure_ you're ready for this, Mar? I mean, there is _no_ pressure here. None at all. You _need_ to know that."

"If I thought there was even a _little_ pressure, you would _not_ be standing in my bedroom now." She smiled faintly, shrugging again. "I _am_ ready. And it's _your_ fault, too."

He smiled and kissed her gently. "If you want to stop…"

"I know." She nodded. "I do. I also know that I love you. And… _all_ I wanted of you when I told you that I was… not experienced was a little guidance."

"Guidance?" he repeated, blinking.

  
"Yeah." She nodded faintly. "Guidance. Like that time I showed you how to box."

"Uh, sex is _not_ like boxing, Mar."

"Good to hear. But the teaching process is _probably_ pretty similar, same bases covered. How to move, where the hands should go…"

Vic laughed and kissed her again. "I love you."

"So make love to me."

"No."

"No?" she repeated, frowning and regarding him uncertainly. She knew that some men held this sort of thing against women, but she could not believe _Vic_ was that type.

"No. You said earlier that I look at you as a partner and not a beautiful woman. I am going to spend the day proving you wrong, and _then_ we will make love." 

"Proving me wrong, hmm?" She smiled faintly, shaking her head. "I'm _never_ wrong, though, Vicky," she pointed out.

"First time for everything," he teased.

"Day of firsts for me, isn't it? How _are_ you going to prove me wrong, exactly?"

  
"Well, I figured we'd start with dancing. And cuddling. A_ lot_ of cuddling, Mar. Very important in any serious relationship," he explained gravely. "And then I am going to make you a romantic candle-lit dinner. More dancing, more cuddling. _Then_ I will have proved you wrong since these are _not_ things a cop does with his partner. Rather, they are things that a man does with a woman he considers beautiful." He smiled sheepishly, shrugging. "And they are things that we should have done a long time ago," he added.

  
"What, no serenade by moonlight?" she teased.

"You want me to serenade you?" Vic laughed and shook his head. "You've _heard_ me sing, Mar."

"Never sober," she pointed out gravely.

"Okay, now that is just too much to ask of _any_ man!" Vic protested, laughing harder and gathering her into his arms.

"Mmm, another time then," she teased.

"Okay. When it won't _completely_ kill the mood." Vic winked at her.

"No man has ever made me feel… well, _anything_, to be quite honest." Maria smiled up at him. "I'm lucky that Mel was too stupid to see what she had in you."

Vic shook his head faintly. "It didn't go down like that, Mar. Besides, why are we talking about her?"

"Not a clue. Last time I checked, today's topic was proving me wrong."

Vic smiled faintly, then affected a resigned expression. "Proving Maria Cruz was wrong? It's going to be a _long_ day…"

"Long," she agreed, nodding. "But rewarding," she added. "Go pick a CD. I'll be right out."

"What are you…"

"Figured I'd make myself pretty for you. You like me in that long blue gown, right?" 

  
"Mar, you are gorgeous in whatever you wear, from blue dresses to dress blues to blue jeans."

"That a yes or a no?" she asked firmly, making a mental note that Vic obviously liked her in blue.

"You are _stunning_ in that dress, Mar," he told her.

"Then I will just put it on, take my hair down, and meet you in the living room."

"Sounds good, Mar." Vic smiled shyly at her.

"Ooh, shyness from Vicky Bruno? Now _that_ I could get used to," Maria murmured approvingly, pulling his face down to hers for a long kiss. 


	5. Chapter 5

****

Chapter 5

Cole came awake slowly, content and warm and well-rested. And still in Mel's arms, he realized with a smile, tightening his grip on the sleeping woman. 

"S'okay, Cole," she murmured in her sleep, pulling him closer. "You're okay, baby."

"I know, Mel," he agreed quietly, kissing the top of her head. 

He could tell by the strength of her life-force that she would be waking up soon, and he had no intention of relinquishing his position in her arms until she had. Preferably not then, either, he decided, tenderly caressing her throat. She stirred in her sleep, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she snuggled into his chest.

"I can't reach your throat if you do that," Cole pointed out gently, rolling her onto her back. He smiled in response to the pout that formed on her face when he pushed her away. His Mel was an expressive creature, even in her sleep. "It's okay, Mel," he assured her tenderly, propping himself up next to her on one arm and caressing her throat. The Cirronian chuckled as her smile returned.

Mel cautiously opened one eye, regarding the Cirronian uncertainly. "What are you laughing at?"

"You, Mel," he chuckled, not pausing in his caresses. 

She closed her eyes again. "Was I talking in my sleep?" she asked, not really wanting an answer.

"No, Mel," he assured her gently. "I am just _very_ happy to see you this morning."

Mel smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. "And _I_ am very glad to see you smiling," she whispered in his ear, cuddling in to his chest and poking one leg between his. "You have a _beautiful_ smile, Cole."

"So do you." He smiled down at her, holding her close.

Mel gave a content sigh and buried her face in his chest. "You sleep well, baby?"

"Yes, Mel." He nodded faintly. "I had one bad dream, but otherwise I slept quite well."

"You should have woken me up," she told him gently, looking up at him.

"You were sleeping. I was comforted just to hold you," he assured her.

"You _always_ like touching me," she teased.

"Yes, Mel," he agreed, smiling down at her. He opened his mouth to ask if he could, perhaps, touch her a little more now, but paused when she cleared her throat.

"We need to talk, okay?" she said gently. 

"Of course, Mel. What about?" he asked.

"You, Cole. Your habit of overdoing it, overextending yourself."

"Mel, I _had_ to bring Maria back," he protested. "Vic loves her like I love you. All I could think of was when I nearly lost you to Zin. All I could think of was how I felt after I lost Nallia. No man should have to feel those things. I like Vic, Mel. I worry about him and about the things he feels. I _had_ to bring her back."

"I know, I know." Mel nodded, sitting up and turning to face him. "And you have no idea how grateful I am to you for his sake. But you took so much out of yourself. And you just _kept going_…" She sighed and shook her head. "Cole, baby, you push yourself too hard, trying to prove that nothing can stop you. I don't know how you made it back to the Watchfire in the first place, but you should have called me to come get you at the very least. And you should have rested last night instead of going to the hospital…"

Cole shook his head faintly. "Kaehto might have been there."

  
"Then you should have sent me." Mel cupped his face in her hands. "Tausha, my love… you are training Vic and I for a reason. No man should have to take on the weight of the universe alone. The more I learn, the more of that weight I can help you bear. But only if you let me. I've been your partner and your wife… and I know I haven't been that last one for very long, Cole, but… I can't help you if you don't let me. You _have_ to stop trying to go it alone. You can't be too stubborn to ask for my help. You can't. I don't want to lose you…"

"Never," he whispered, gathering her into his arms and burying his face in her throat. "Never, Mel. I won't leave you, not ever," he promised.

"You have to let me help you, Cole. You have to stop trying to be an island. Now, less than ever before, you are _not_."

"I know, Mel." He nodded shakily. "Without you, I don't think I would have survived the second escape. I know that I need your help. I need _you_."

"Shh," she murmured soothingly. "Look, here's what we're going to do. You listening?"

"Yes, Mel."

"Vic is with Maria, right?" At his nod, she smiled. "Okay. Good. Then we are going to let Vic and Maria worry about Vic and Maria. They can call us if anything happens to indicate Kaehto is around, but the odds are tiny that he is going to show up, so there's no reason for you to be there. Does that sound fair so far?"  


"Yes, Mel." He nodded faintly. Kaehto was _not_ going to go after Maria or he would have by now.

"And _you_ are going to take the day off," she added.

"I can't, Mel," he protested.

"Sure you can," Mel told him. "Kaehto is going to need to select a new victim and that means _at least_ a week until the next abduction. So you're going to take what humans call a mental-health day." She rested her hand against his heart, feeling his life-force. He was worlds better for eight hours of sleep. "Nothing too strenuous yet, I think, but we can go out to lunch, take a walk in the park… Now how does that sound?" she asked gently.

Cole hesitated, but knew that Mel was right. Kaehto would need to select a new victim and familiarize himself with her routines. Nothing new was going to happen on that front today. And he still was very tired. He was no longer on the verge of collapse, certainly, but taking it easy for another day would probably be wise all the same. Mel was right, too. He _did_ have a habit of pushing himself too hard. In the beginning, it had been necessary, but he was no longer without help or resources and could afford to pay more attention to his own needs. He smiled faintly at Mel, nodding.

"Good boy," she told him, patting his chest gently.

He smiled at the gentle affirmation. "Will you take the day off, too?" he asked, his smile widening.

"Yeah. Someone has to make sure you take it easy, after all," she pointed out.

"This taking it easy, Mel… how easy? Is _any_ strenuous physical activity permissible?"

Mel shifted slightly, smiling at the way his eyes were shining at her. Those were not the eyes of a man who had any intention of desisting from 'strenuous physical activity' no matter _how_ easy he was being ordered to take it. She touched her hand to his chest again, gauging the strength of his life-force. He was tired, but nowhere near as exhausted as he _had_ been.

"Well, I don't think that a little… strenuous physical activity ever hurt anyone, Cole," she told him with a smile. She gasped as she abruptly found herself lying on her back, staring up at him as he leaned over her.

"What about a lot?" he whispered, caressing her throat.

  
"Well, don't tire yourself out, Cole, but… hey, a mental-health day is supposed to be about having fun."

"Good," he breathed, his hand sliding from her throat to her breast, his fingers skimming across her nipple. "Having fun is important."

"Yes, it is," she agreed in a whisper, watching the progress of his hand as it made its leisurely way down her body.

"Touch is such an amazing sensation," Cole whispered, allowing his hands to move of their own accord over Mel's body. "Completely unexpected for a Cirronian. After I came here… I had to adapt, change my behavior to avoid unpleasant touches. But I found myself seeking out every opportunity with you. I thought it was just that I liked touching and being touched in certain ways." He smiled faintly, shrugging. "I was wrong, of course. It was mostly you. But it's still an amazing sensation."

Mel smiled faintly, pushing him on to his back and straddling him. "Yeah, touch is a nice sensation," she agreed, nodding and tracing the lines of his chest with her hand.

"Mel," he whispered, smiling up at her. He lifted his hands to her face, caressing it tenderly. "I want you," he whispered. "I need you." 

"I'm yours," she assured him, a little surprised when he pushed her off of his body and on to her back again. Although he enjoyed most positions, normally he preferred having her on top, reminded of their first time together. "Always."

Cole smiled and slid onto her, kissing her tenderly as he moved to lay between her legs. "Why am I not afraid?" he whispered, breaking off the kiss and nuzzling her cheek. "With Nallia I was afraid. Why not you?"

"I don't know," Mel murmured, smiling up at him. "And I'm not sure it matters. All that matters is that this is what you want."

"Always, Mel," he assured her, nodding quickly. "Always."

She smiled faintly, nodding. "Always," she agreed. 

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her again as he eased into her.

Mel moaned softly, wrapping her arms and legs around him. "I love you, Cole," she breathed, reaching for his throat and tenderly caressing his sensitive skin. She could not help but smile as he moaned in response to her touch.

"You're glowing," he whispered, smiling brightly down at her.

"So are you," she teased, giving him a little squeeze.

  
Cole moaned and arched his back, pushing into her. "Mel," he breathed, finding his pace. "Taushi. Morah…" he whimpered, weeping as he moved.

In spite of the tears that he was spilling freely onto her, Mel smiled. There were times when, as any full-blooded Cirronian could, Mel could feel the soul of her mate. Moving with him now, acting in complete accord physically and emotionally, was one such time. She felt no exhaustion from him, no self-doubt, only love and passion and certainty. This was the man she loved, this was _her_ Cole. Now, more than any other time, as their bodies and souls became one, he could hide nothing from her. Nothing of the previous night was present in him now: no fear, no hesitation, nothing but joy so intense that he had no recourse but to weep and to cry out his love in Cirronian. 

Mel matched his intensity with her own, moving for him alone, ignoring her own needs for his and knowing that they would both enjoy themselves more for it. He was beautiful when he made love: the look and feel of his pleasure, the glowing golden aura that hung about him, his broken cries, the emotions pouring off of him and breaking against her in waves. Love and pleasure, more pure than any she had ever experienced before, emanated from him and refused to be denied. In spite of her desire that the experience be everything possible for Cole, she could not ignore her own response. Moaning, she arched into him, burying her face in his shoulder as he continued to move against her. 

  
Cole cried out in response to her own pleasure, crying out her name, reaffirming his love for her in Cirronian, using every word for 'beautiful' that he knew. She always had this effect on him, and he was seldom able to delay his own reaction for long. He cried out again, moments later as he felt and heard Mel's reaction to his own reaction.

"_Mel!_" he gasped as he found his own release. 

Mel lay still beneath him for a long moment before responding. "Cole?"

He chuckled, burying his face in the crook of her shoulder. "I love you," he murmured. 

"I love you, too, baby," Mel answered, smiling and hugging him close. 

"Can we stay like this for a while?" he asked, looking hopefully down at her. 

She smiled and nodding, hugging his body against hers fiercely. "Oh, for as long as you want, Tausha," she assured him. "And then we're going to go and have a nice day and pretend that there's no such thing as the fugitives."

"I'd like that, Mel," he murmured, nuzzling the side of her face again. Tired he may have been, but his body was already beginning to recover. It was going to be a _wonderful_ morning. "I'd like that." 

***

Vic had held Maria in his arms for the last half-hour or more, just swaying in time to the music and enjoying the way it felt to hold her close. The room was dim, lit only by the sunlight filtering in through the tightly-drawn curtains.

"One of us is going to have to put in for a transfer Monday," she noted quietly, resting her cheek against his shoulder. 

Vic chuckled and shook his head. "Mar," he began.

"Shh," she suggested, smiling up at him. "Thank you for today, Vicky. It was… amazing, really."

"It was overdue, Mar," Vic told her firmly. 

"You are something else," Maria told him with a smile, shaking her head. "I was all yours, ready to climb into bed with you. And what do you do? You make me a candle-lit dinner. Normally the order on that is reversed, you know."

"Not with you."

She chuckled softly, burying her face in his shoulder for a moment before smiling up at him. "Take me to bed."

"You sure about this, Mar?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Come on."

"Damn," he muttered, hesitating.

"What?" Maria frowned faintly. "Something wrong?"

"Me. I'm not… prepared."

"You're not ready?" She frowned, shaking her head.

"Oh, I'm _ready_, Mar, just not… you know. _Prepared_."

"Oh." She smiled and shook her head. "And once again I have to be the one to think of everything," she teased. "I've been on the pill since the day after you had that scuffle with Gregory James."

"You're kidding?"

"You think I'd have taken you home and gotten you drunk if I hadn't been covered?"

"You really _do_ think of everything," Vic chuckled, shaking his head. "So you got me drunk that night fully intending to seduce me?"

"Mmm hmm. Would have done it, too, if it hadn't been for that pesky attack of conscience. I didn't want you like that. It would have been wrong."

"I feel so used…"

Maria rolled her eyes. "No, you don't."

Vic laughed. "No, I don't. I'm actually just glad that one of us is thinking."

"Me, too, because if I weren't on the pill and you had just announced that you weren't covered either, I would _not_ be a happy woman right now. Come on, Vicky. Let's go to bed."

Vic followed her back to her bedroom but quickly added, "If at any point you want to stop…"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're more nervous than I am. Have you noticed that?"

"I am _not_ nervous." He paused, then shrugged. "Okay, so maybe a little…"

She smiled gently and rested her hands on his shoulders. "_Don't_ be. The best part of this is that we're best friends already. It's going to be _fine_."

Vic smiled faintly and nodded. "I know, Mar."

"Come here," she murmured, reaching out and slowly unbuttoning his shirt. "You have _no_ idea how long I've wanted to do this…"

"How long _have_ you been entertaining fantasies of undressing me, Cruz?" Vic asked with a chuckle as she pushed his shirt off his shoulders and tugged off his undershirt.

"Mmm, four years give or take," she admitted with a shrug, turning her attention to her bare chest. "Although I have to say that the fantasies didn't do you justice, Vicky. All that time you spend in the gym is _not_ wasted."

Vic smiled faintly at her teasing as she began curiously exploring his chest with her fingertips. His smile widened as she moved around behind him, her hands lightly running over his back and shoulders and slipping under his arms, exploring every plane and curve.

"Why do I feel like I'm getting frisked here?" he joked finally, unable to resist.

"Hey, this is what you get for dating a cop," she teased back. "You're just lucky I don't have you up against the wall yet…"

"Hey, if that's what you're into, Mar," Vic said with a grin, turning to face her again. "Would it help if I spread 'em?" 

"All in good time." Maria laughed. "Insert handcuff joke here," she added softly, slipping her arms around his waist and pulling him close. Her eyes widened faintly. "Mmm, Vicky _likes_ getting frisked, doesn't he?" she asked with a sly smile and a quick downward glance. 

"Only by you," he answered, wrapping his own arms around her and pulled her hips more firmly against his. "Damn it, Mar, you're _blushing_… That's a first. You okay?"

"Better than I've been in a long time, I think," she said, raising her hands to his chest again. "You are _built_, you know that?"

"Guess we can rule out you loving me for my brain." 

"What would I do with your _brain_?" she asked, gently pushing him onto the bed. 

Vic sat up on his elbows, watching with a faint smile as Maria unbuckled his belt. For a woman who had, just a few hours ago, been asking him for advice and guidance, she seemed to be handling herself pretty well. Of course, that was just the way she was: she knew what she wanted and she seldom rested until she had it. He was surprised and pleased that there was not the least anxiety or hesitation in her manner. She knew, as always, exactly what she wanted and this time it just happened to be him. His smile widened as she finished stripping off his slacks and reached for his boxers.

"You know, you have me at a slight disadvantage here, partner," he told her, smiling.

She looked up, her expression teasing. "You'll get your turn, Vicky," she promised him, sliding off the boxers. She took a few moments to regard the naked man before her and then smiled widely, climbing onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You remember why I started calling you Vicky?" she asked, smiling.

Not sure what it had to do with anything, he still searched his memory. "It was a diminutive, wasn't it? Your way of reminding me that I was the new guy in Robbery/Homicide."

"Yeah, it was." She nodded faintly, smiling. "Used to drive you crazy. Vicky, 'little Vic'." She brushed her lips against his cheek before whispering in his ear, "I'm going to have to find you a new nickname, Victor Bruno, because there is _nothing_ little about you."

He chuckled and shook his head. 

Smiling, she took one of his hands into hers and kissed his fingertips lightly. "These hands of yours have made me feel an awful lot of new things in the past few weeks, Vicky," she noted quietly, staring at them rather than at him. Swallowing once, she looked up and added, "What are they going to make me feel tonight?"

"Anything you want," he promised, freeing his hand and brushing her hair out of her face. Her cradled her face gently in his hands, brushing his thumbs over her lips. "You are so beautiful…"

"Don't say that. Beauty's an accident of birth," she muttered, shaking her head.

"No, it's not. It's in the way you carry yourself, the way you treat others, the fact that you have to have it pointed out to you that you _are_…" He climbed to his feet, bringing her with him and moving her in front of the bedroom's full-length mirror. "Look at that woman."

  
"I'd rather look at the guy standing behind her, thanks," she answered, shifting slightly.

"I'm going to undress you now, Mar, okay?" he asked gently.

"About time."

Vic smiled and dropped to his knees, gathering the hem of the long dress into his hands where it pooled around her ankles. He rose slowly, taking the dress with him and never taking his eyes off of Maria's face. She raised her arms as he pulled it over her head but remained otherwise motionless, her expression uncertain. She remained equally still as he stripped off her bra and panties, not even her expression changing as Vic took a moment to scrutinize her.

A long, thick scar on her collarbone, the legacy of a knife-fight she had broken up a few years ago, was the only mark on her. Her skin was otherwise smooth and flawless, pulled tight over muscles honed by years of chasing down suspects and going to the gym afterwards to unwind. She was not bulky, either, the way many muscular women were. Her muscles were trim and efficient, and in spite of her small breasts and lack of curves, everything about her spoke of feminine power and beauty. 

"Oh, God," Vic whispered, smiling adoringly at her. "Mar, look at you…" He gently turned her to face the mirror again, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Something tells me that you probably don't get told this enough except by guys who want something, but it's true. Look at you. You are beautiful." 

She turned to face him again, and Vic recognized that cautious expression from years of working with her. She thought she was being teased, and _not_ in the gentle way they normally teased each other. 

"You are," he whispered, nodding firmly. "I mean it, Mar."

"You know who the first guy who ever told me that was?" she asked softly. "I swear to God, Vicky, he actually thought it would get me to agree to sleep with him. When it didn't…" She shook her head. "I _hate_ that word."

"You should have said so," Vic murmured, gathering her into his arms. He closed his eyes and struggled to ignore the way her bare flesh felt against his. Losing battle in many respects. Ignoring his body's reaction, he focused on the woman in his arms. "Because there are _so_ many other words for you. Amazing, wonderful, perfect, gorgeous, magnificent… Which one do you like best?"

"Mar," she answered immediately. "That's the word for me I like best. You're the first guy who ever used a name for me other than Maria or Cruz or my rank. And you're the only one I _do_ let use it, you know. I like Mar. That's my favorite."

"Mar it is, then," he agreed, nodding and stroking his hands over her bare back.

"It means ocean, you know," she told him, snuggling into his chest and closing her eyes. His hands felt even better against her bare skin. It was amazing.

"I do. It suits you, too. Gorgeous and powerful and then there's that whole 'still waters' bit…"

"You always talk this much during sex?" she asked, looking up at him curiously. 

"You want me to talk less?" he asked, smiling.

Maria grinned and gently tugged him back towards the bed. "Not that I don't love the sound of your voice, but I'm sure you can find better things to do with your mouth."

Vic smiled and nodded, climbing onto the bed and then taking her hand and helping her on. Kneeling in front of her, he reached up and lightly traced the scar on her collarbone and throat. "How far _have_ you been?" he asked gently. "I don't want to go too fast for you."

"Couch, and you _won't_."

"The couch is as far as you've been? I mean… what we've done is…"

  
"_It_, yeah." Maria nodded. "Getting kissed by you, letting you touch me, touching you… You're the only man I've ever been interested enough in to let _any_ of that happen."

"Okay." Vic nodded slowly, flattered but also feeling very hesitant. "Let's start… like we did on the couch. That's a good place. I'm going to kiss you, then I'm going to touch your breasts. If you want to touch me at any point, just feel free and we'll go from there."

"You sound like a damned procedural textbook," she informed him with a laugh, dropping onto the pillows and pulling him down on top of her. "It's because your mouth is still unoccupied. I _told_ you that was a bad thing. That mouth of yours is forever getting you into trouble…"

Vic laughed and bent down for a kiss, gasping as Maria's hands immediately busied themselves. She had always had a thing about idle hands.

Having only ever touched him in such a manner through jeans before, Maria froze. "Am I doing it wrong?"

"_Very_ right," he assured her with a shaky chuckle, bending and kissing her again.

As hands and mouths familiarized each with the other's bodies, Vic could not help but be struck by how _right_ the experience felt. Hesitation over hurting or scaring her were gone, replaced by annoyance with himself at having waited so long to allow it to happen. As Maria's fingertips curiously examined the myriad scars that peppered his body, Vic focused on showing her that sex did not have to be violent or frightening or painful by not making their foreplay _about_ sex. Instead, he completely ignored his own needs and reactions and focused squarely on hers. Maria responded readily to his tender caresses, looking amazed every time she cried out in pleasure as a result of his touch. 

He suddenly found himself wondering how much of the last several years of his on-again, off-again relationship with Mel had secretly been spent longing for Maria. She had _always_ been the one he had gone to, he realized, whenever anything went wrong and he needed to talk or needed a shoulder to cry on or a hug. Every time Mel had once more become fed up with their relationship, Maria had been there, patiently waiting for Vic, speaking gentle words of comfort and stepping back into her position as most important woman in his life. And whenever he had gotten back together with Mel, Maria had been there with a smile and a wish of better luck before falling back into the shadows. For the last five years, she had been exactly what he needed, exactly _when_ he needed it, without expecting a damned thing in return. 

He smiled at her as she lightly swirled her finger around the scar he had gotten during the art-museum robbery last year. 

"You know what my biggest mistake in life has always been?"

"You're talking again…" she teased, shaking her head.

"I take the women I care about for granted. You have always been there and it took me five years to even _see_ you. I'm sorry, Mar."

"Don't be. Just don't let it happen any more." She smiled up at him, her expression hopeful and inviting. 

"It won't. I promise." Vic smiled and gathered her into his arms. He kissed her, tenderly at first but with increasing passion.

She broke off the kiss first, breathing heavily. "Oh, God, Vic," she panted, clinging to him. "I didn't know it'd feel like this…"

"It's okay. You're okay," Vic reassured her. "You want me to back off?" he offered gently.

She shook her head quickly. "I want you in me. Please?" she pled, tightening her hold on him and regarding him desperately.

"No problem, Mar," Vic assured her, smiling lovingly and gently pushing her back down against the pillows. "You mind having me up here?" he asked. "Would you rather to switch? Works just as well with me on bottom…" 

She shook her head quickly. "This is good. I could get used to this." 

"Okay, Mar. Okay." He smiled and nodded faintly, shifting into position. "Mar," he whispered, cradling her face in his hands for a moment. He closed his eyes as he slid into her, breathing her name.

Maria let out a low moan, followed by a soft laugh. "Wow," she managed in a shaky voice. "Oh… that feels… nice…"

"It's _supposed_ to, Mar," he murmured in her ear, shifting slightly. "Ah…"

She smiled up at him, her expression one of profound pleasure and even greater happiness. "Vic…" she chuckled, nodding. 

Things moved quickly after that. Maria's responses were less passionate than desperate for fulfillment and Vic reacted accordingly, giving her _exactly_ what she was demanding. The fact that there had not been that many women before did not mean that he was not adept at reading a woman's body; in fact, he prided himself on it. There was no point at all, as far as he could tell, in making love with a woman unless she enjoyed herself as much as he did. And since he enjoyed lovemaking a great deal…

The first time Maria cried out, he almost panicked and backed off completely, but his partner knew him too well and reacted before he could even _begin_ to retreat. She wrapped her legs tightly around him, using them and her arms to draw his body against hers. She gave him a gentle smile and shook her head.

"Sorry," he apologized breathlessly. "I'm just… I don't want to…"

"You won't," she promised, tightening her hold on him. "Please…"

Vic nodded and resumed his gentle thrusts, letting out a cry of his own as Maria arched up to meet him. He slipped one hand between her legs as he moved, tearing another cry from her. She moaned and panted, squirming and bucking under him and trying to intensify the things he was making her feel. Vic could not help but smile at her reaction, as his finger moved between her legs, first slowly and gently but then faster and with more pressure, like his hips, rocking against hers.

Abruptly Maria's pants gave ways to a series of ragged cries as she clung to him, a shocked expression on her face, her body tense. Smiling, Vic held her close and continued on until she went limp against him, sated. He finished quickly then, letting out a half-sob as he emptied himself into her. Panting, he remained in that position, braced above her for several minutes, before he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him.

"You okay, Mar?" he whispered once he had managed to get his breathing in check.

Laughing and crying, Maria nodded. "I didn't know it would feel like that. It was amazing."

Vic smiled widely, cuddling her close. "I'm glad you liked it, Mar."

"Did I do okay?" she asked hopefully.

Vic chuckled and nodded. "You were great, Mar."

"Can we do it again?"

Vic chuckled and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. "It's not even seven yet. I think we can find the time to do it a few more times."

"Wonderful," she murmured, smiling and nodding. "Damn, I love you."

"I love you, too, baby," Vic assured her, giving her a long kiss. 


	6. Chapter 6

****

Chapter 6

Waking up next to Maria Cruz was, Vic reflected, something that he could get used to. The other Detective was curled up on her side next to him, her body flush with his and one arm and leg flung over him. Her face, resting on his chest, wore the most feminine smile he had ever seen gracing her features. It was, he decided, just as well that she did not like the word 'beautiful'. It completely failed to do her justice. She was gorgeous.

She was awake the instant the phone rang, not even looking a little sleepy as she held the receiver to her ear. "Cruz." She listened for a moment, frowning, then wordlessly handed the phone to Vic.

"Uh… hello?"

"Detective Bruno, this is Detective Chase." In the time it took Vic to remember who Chase was, that she worked kidnappings, she was speaking again. "You know a woman named Melanie Porter? A man named Cole Hauser?" 

"Y… yeah. Why?"

"Miss Porter was forcibly abducted from a local park yesterday evening."

  
"_Yesterday_?" Vic demanded. "Why the hell didn't anyone call me?"

"Until Cole Hauser recovered consciousness, no one knew that you were acquainted with Miss Porter."

"Regained consciousness?" Vic repeated, shaking his head. He had seen Cole take a _lot_ of physical abuse and not even slow down much. To have been rendered unconscious, and for that long, it must have been serious indeed. "Oh, God… What happened?"  


"He was hit with a tazer or stun-gun."

"Do they have any leads?"

"Upon regaining consciousness, Mister Hauser indicated that he recognized the assailant as William Brandon. Then he asked me to call you."

"Where is he now? Which hospital?"

"He was discharged against medical advice shortly after waking. He went home."

"How was he?" Vic asked.

"His temperature was a little low and his heartbeat was thready, but the doctor said that a thready heartbeat can be consistent with something like a stun-gun." 

"Okay. Thank you. I'll want a copy of his statement. My partner and I are in charge of the Brandon investigation." He paused. "Where did you get this number?" he asked, frowning. 

"Mister Hauser indicated that he believed you would be staying with Detective Cruz in case Brandon made another attempt on her."

"Okay. Thanks. Bye." Vic absently leaned around Maria, hanging up the phone and feeling numb.

"Vicky, sweetie, what is it?" Maria asked gently. "What happened?"

  
"William Brandon took Mel."

"Oh, sweetie," Maria murmured, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a gentle hug. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, still in shock." Vic took a deep breath. "Christ, Mar… He must have taken her while we were…"

"Shh, shh, shh," she urged, rocking him gently. "You didn't know. You couldn't have. This is not the time to start feeling guilty. We need to get dressed, get the reports, talk to Cole and the investigating officers, and bring her back," she told him in her gentle, firm way. "You're still in shock, not feeling a lot? _Use_ that."

He nodded weakly, rising and looking around for his discarded pants. "Mar…"

"Shh." She kissed him gently, shaking her head. "Right now we need to help Mel. Come on."

***

When they walked into the Watchfire, Cole was sitting at the bar with an empty glass in front of him, staring glassy-eyed at a bottle of scotch. Vic winced, remembering what Mel had told him about Cole and alcohol. 

"How much of that has he had?" Vic asked Isabel, plucking the bottle away from Cole.

  
"He hasn't. He's just been _staring_ at it since he got back. I tried to put it away once, but he just glared and batted at my hand. Never seen him look so pissed before so I just backed off. But he hasn't actually _had_ any…"

"Cole, man?" Vic asked gently, sitting down next to him.

Cole snapped out of his reverie and looked around at Vic. "Vic, he took her…"

"I know. Detective Chase called me a little while ago. I came right over."

"Thank you, Vic. Would you like a drink?"

"Probably in about as bad a way as you do," Vic said. "But this is a bad time."

"It is," Cole agreed weakly. "Isabel, could you bring coffee?"

"Sure thing, Cole."

"Hey, I'm going to go talk to Chase, get the reports, see what's happening on that front," Maria told the two gently. "Cole? Anything I should know that might not be in the reports?"

He regarded her dully for a moment before shaking his head. "There is nothing else you should know, Detective."

She gave an irritated sigh but nodded. Giving Vic's shoulder a squeeze, she left quickly.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" Vic suggested gently.

"Mel made me take a… mental health day?"

"Yeah." Vic nodded. "Mental health day."

"We spent all day together. We went out to lunch and then spent the rest of the day at the park. It was starting to get dark. There was no one else around so Mel and I weren't really paying attention to anything except each other…"

"Which is when Kaehto attacked you?"

"Yes, Vic. Thank you, Isabel," he added absently as she placed a tray with two coffee cups and a freshly brewed pot on the bar. "Why don't you go home now, Isabel?" he suggested gently, filling the mugs and adding his usual copious amount of sugar to his own.

"You going to be okay?" she asked gently.

"I will be when I have brought Mel back to us." He gave her a weak smile and an encouraging nod and did not speak again until the girl had left the bar, locking the front door behind her. "He attacked me first, Vic, with liquid nitrogen."

"Liquid nitrogen?" Vic repeated with wide eyes, putting down his coffee cup.

"Things like tazers and stun-guns don't work on Cirronians," Cole explained. "Liquid nitrogen has a similar effect to what they would on a human."

"But those things are relatively short-term," Vic pointed out. "Chase said you were out overnight."

Cole nodded. "The fugitives have… refined the design." He shivered once, violently. "There is a gun that fires two small pellets into the chest. They've found a way to make them time-release, to keep me weakened for longer…" He shook his head. 

"You were in the hospital. How did they fail to notice that you aren't human?"

"There may be questions about my blood-work, but the nitrogen altered my vital signs substantially, lowered my temperature, slowed my heart-rate… and I have modeled my internal organs after those of a human. They would have to know that they were looking for abnormalities to find them." 

He looked at the cup of coffee in his hands for a moment before pushing it aside.

"This was revenge, Vic."

Vic closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "I know, Cole. And I'm sorry."

"This is not your fault, Vic," Cole told him simply, rising. "Kaehto is to blame, no one else."

"So let's go get the bastard," Vic said, rising himself.

"Yes." Cole smiled, a serene expression that made Vic's blood run cold. "Let's go get him, Vic."

***

Mel came awake gradually, her mind replaying the events of the previous day. Making love with Cole; laying curled up together until past noon, wordlessly enjoying each other's company and touch; going out to lunch together; walking in the park; finding an empty hillside to watch the sunset. It had been a gorgeous sunset, the most beautiful Mel had ever seen. Cole had lazily provided her with the Cirronian names for each of the colors, his expression happier than she had seen it since the second escape. 

After that, everything had fallen apart. The muffled sound of a weapon discharging. Cole hitting the ground, writhing in agony and then laying still. Mel, too stunned to respond except by leaning over Cole and checking for a pulse, had felt a sharp blow to the back of the head followed by blackness. 

That oblivion had been preferable to the situation she found herself in now. She was not in a _lot_ of pain, but her head was killing her _and_ her arms. Her hands were shackled to a chain over her head, her feet barely touching the ground and then only if she stretched. _All_ of her body's weight was being borne by arms already exhausted by the effort and she felt like her shoulders were being pulled out of their sockets. She just could not get a firm enough footing to relieve that pressure. Worse, most of her clothes were missing. In fact, the only article that remained was her panties. Opening her eyes slowly, she found herself in a large, seemingly abandoned warehouse. But she was not alone.

A young man was crouched across the warehouse, well away from the door, bent over something and looking quite attentive. Breathing a silent prayer of thanks to Cole for teaching her how to spring locks, she quickly dispensed with the handcuffs, hitting the ground heavily. Looking around for her clothing and seeing that they were nowhere in sight, she cut her losses and ran anyway. 

She cried out as she felt someone tackling her from behind, bearing her roughly to the floor and knocking the wind out of her. Cold concrete scraped exposed flesh, and Mel was fairly sure that her left breast was bleeding. She did not struggle, taking the opportunity to catch her breath again instead. He was not heavy, probably weighed less than she did, but the hands bracing her against the floor were incredibly strong, Cirronian strength. Kaehto. As if there had ever been any doubt…

"Now _where_ do you think you're going, Miss Porter?" he asked Mel gently, making no move to let her up. "Very rude of you to try to leave without saying good bye, don't you think?"

To Mel's horror, he bent and pressed his lips to the back of her neck. She shivered to hear him moan softly and to feel his body's reaction. As his lips parted and his tongue darted across the exposed skin of her neck and upper back, she whimpered. She bucked underneath him, struggling and cursing and trying to pull out of his grasp as he continued tracing the lines of her neck and shoulders with his tongue. 

"You taste _good_," he purred.

"Go to hell!" she snapped as he pulled her upright and half-carried her back to where she had been shackled, blithely ignoring her struggles. 

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "So he's taught you how to spring locks? Makes my job harder, hmm?" he asked easily, reaching for a roll of duct-tape. "Cirronian-proof," he explained with a grin, securing her wrists over her head again, taping them securely together above the chain.

Calling on every last ounce of strength she contained, exploiting an incredibly strong survival-streak, Mel pulled her feet against her chest, bearing her body's entire weight on arms that screamed out against the added strain. Lashing out with her feet, she hit him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. 

Kaehto crouched on all fours for a moment, catching his breath, and then began laughing. "Ah, a fighter! Splendid!"

Chuckling and shaking his head, he retrieved the duct-tape and secured Mel's feet to the floor, ignoring her pained cries as he stretched her body well beyond its natural limits. Throughout, he was careful to avoid another blow from them. He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Better," he decided, smiling and nodding.

Mel's mind was racing, trying to figure out how to deal with this situation. _Keep him talking, establish a rapport, buy yourself some time._

"Why are you doing this?" she asked quickly.

Kaehto shrugged, moving to stand in front of her. "In your case, because I've never worked with a hybrid before. Cirronians, yes. Humans, yes. But _never_ a hybrid. I'll be interested to see what changes the merger makes in your responses."

Cole's words came back to her forcefully: _He likes to experiment on his victims._

Mel shivered._ Get as much information about him as you can. When you escape or get rescued, Cole can use it._

"Why me? Why Maria?"

"Well, lovely Maria's case was unique. First time I've ever been offered money to ply my trade."

Aghast, Mel filed that information away anyway.

"Now you, sweetness… you were, initially, simple revenge." He reached out and gently smoothed a stray lock of hair out of her face, tisking softly when Mel jerked her head out of her reach. "Still, I can't deny the potential fun to be had with you. Your mixed heritage is, as the humans might say, icing on the cake…" He smiled and rose again. "You'll definitely be… different. I look forward to this."

"But why? Why do you do these things? To anyone?" Mel persisted. 

"I'm a Cirronian. We're curious," he pointed out, carrying a small box over to her. "Other races call us curious to a fault."

  
"Do they?" Mel asked quietly, regarding the box uneasily.

"Mmm hmm." Kaehto smiled benignly, opening the box and holding up a stripped wire. "Now," he began, throwing a switch inside the box. "Take electrical charges… At low levels, they're actually rather pleasant for a Cirronian." Grinning at her, he held the end of the wire to the back of his hand, his smile widening and his eyes drifting shut. "To humans, this same voltage is _quite_ painful. Which shall it be for _you_?"

Mel took a deep breath, struggling to remember the breathing exercise Cole had taught her to cast out anxiety. When the tip of the wire was applied to her chest, just above her bleeding left breast, the exercise went out of her mind and she closed her eyes, whimpering and shaking her head in protest.

"Painful, is it?" he asked, putting the wire down and nodding to himself. "_I see…_" His smile faded abruptly. "Sweetness, you're bleeding!"

"Don't touch me!" she snapped as she felt one of his hands cupping her breast. She was surprised to feel healing energy. She opened her eyes and stared at him in confusion.

"All better," he whispered tenderly, stroking her face with a blood-covered hand. "All better, sweetness."

Mel stared at him in confusion. To be healed of one injury by this monster, moments after he had inflicted another, was not something she had expected or could explain. His MO was torturing women to death. What the hell was he doing healing her?

"All better," he repeated gently, picking up the wire again. 

"No," Mel protested, shaking her head. "Come on…"

"Ay ay," he crooned soothingly, pressing the edge of the wire to her chest near the first burn.

Mel closed her eyes and struggled against nausea from the smell of her own flesh burning and against an almost overpowering urge to scream at the pain she was in. She managed to control her tears until he applied the wire yet again, leaving a third burn on her chest, but she refused to cry out as he continued to inflict fresh burns. She lost count at eight, but knew that there must have been many more.

"Well, would you look at that?" he asked quietly, lightly running his fingertips over the tightly-packed cluster of burns. "We have a constellation, clearly visible through most of the Migar system… Pattern's almost identical to this one. We call him the Huntsman."

Mel refused to open her eyes, resting her head against one arm and struggling to catch her breath.

"Do you know _what_ he used to hunt?" Kaehto asked conversationally.

Mel remained stubbornly silent, knowing that if she spoke she was only going to start crying.

"People," Kaehto continued. "He was a Vardian mythological figure. I heard about him as a young boy, in whispers. The adults would never have tolerated us talking about such things openly, so we _had_ to keep such discussions secret. But the Huntsman hunted people, hunted them down like animals and killed them the same way. I'm told he even kept their pelts. Of course, he didn't always kill them _before_ he took their pelts, you understand…"

Mel closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "Guess everyone has to have a childhood hero…" she managed in a shaky voice.

"Mmm, yes, I suppose you're right. After my parents died in that _unfortunate_ accident, I had to look to someone as a role model."

"You killed your parents?" she whispered.

"I had to." He shrugged helplessly. "They limited me. They called my fascination with matters of life and death unhealthy. They _held me back_."

"Oh, that's a _great_ reason to kill your own parents! Cole's right about you. You _are_ a monster!"

"Oh, see, now that just hurts, sweetness." He shook his head faintly.

Mel scoffed and glared at him, struggling against the tape binding her wrists and keeping her from moving her feet. Her arms hurt worse now than they had when she had woken up, all part of the progressive torture that this man was known for, she supposed. Three weeks he had kept his last Cirronian victim alive for. She supposed that she should be grateful that he could not keep his human ones alive for more than a week or so.

__

No, damn it! she told herself firmly. _You **don't** think like that. Don't you **dare**! Cole won't let that happen. He'll come; he'll find me. I just have to wait…_

Mel closed her eyes and focused on going through one of the breathing exercises Cole had shown her to dispel anxiety.

"You _have_ learned a thing or two from him, haven't you, sweetness?" Kaehto asked, impressed.

Mel ignored him and kept breathing.

Kaehto shook his head faintly and slowly brushed the live wire against her cheek, leaving a long, deep burn. 

"I don't like being ignored," he told the sobbing woman gently, giving her throat a reassuring caress. "Next time you'll lose an eye."

Still crying, Mel shook her head. "Please… Let me go."

"Be careful what you ask for, sweetness," Kaehto told her lightly, still caressing her throat. He bent and kissed her uninjured cheek tenderly for a moment before speaking. "The release I grant you may not be the release you desire." 


	7. Chapter 7

****

Chapter 7

Vic watched Cole tapping away at his keyboard, feeling helpless to do anything to help the Cirronian. He watched, fascinated, as a bead of sweat rolled from Cole's forehead down his cheek. He had _never_ seen the Cirronian sweat before, and it told him everything he needed to know about the situation. In spite of his controlled exterior, Cole was panicking and _that_ was a definite first. At least he was no longer sluggish from the liquid nitrogen which was, Vic supposed, something. 

"What are you doing?" Vic asked, leaning over Cole's shoulder. 

"Trying to find Kaehto. What the hell do you _think_ I'm doing?" the Cirronian snapped.

Vic recoiled, startled. That was another first from Cole.

  
Cole winced. "Hwa'an, Vic, I'm sorry…"

"Hwa'an?"

"She's like God," Cole explained absently. "I _am_ sorry, Vic. I'm just _very_ worried about Mel."

"You aren't the only one, my friend," Vic assured him, patting his shoulder. "There has to be _something_ I can do to help?"

Cole nodded and pointed to the one computer in the room that actually resembled a normal human one. "Can you access police reports by internet?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Good. I need reports on all the initial abductions and on the discovery of each body."

"Done," Vic told him, logging on. "What are you looking at?" he asked, typing as he spoke.

"Abandoned and unused buildings in remote locations," Cole told him. "We know he was not keeping the victims in his own home, so he must have been keeping them _somewhere_. It would need to be in a remote location so that no one would hear the screams, but not too far away, either."

"That should narrow it down a little," Vic agreed. "Okay, printing those reports now. Can you read English okay or do you need me to--"

"I can read English, Vic," Cole assured him. "Mel taught me."

"Okay." He paused as his phone rang. "Hang on, Cole. Detective Vic Bruno," he answered.

Maria announced, "Vicky, got some information for you."

"On Mel?"

"No, on William Brandon. They found blood in the warehouse we confronted him in."

"Yeah, I shot him," Vic told her.

"No, they found two blood-types and the second was in a different location from Brandon's. They're relatively sure that the second set of samples belonged to Angie Horace."

"That's what? Victim two? Three?"

"Three," Maria confirmed. "There was a _lot_ of blood there, too. No body yet, but the CSIs think she died in that warehouse, Vicky…"

"But no trace of Susan Blake?"

"None, and no blood evidence to indicate that she was ever there."

"Cole, he's got more than one place where he's killing these women," Vic told him. "Maria, you have that kidnapping report, yet?"

"Yeah, Vicky, I have it." She sighed. "A pair of joggers swear blind that Brandon was in the park that evening. They picked him out of a photo lineup this morning. He's looking good for Mel's abductor."

Vic closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was not incredibly surprised, based on Cole's story, but Maria's words capped it. "Okay, Mar. Thanks."

"I'll bring the report to the Watchfire."

"Thanks, Mar. See you soon."

"How closely do you plan on involving her in this?" Cole asked quietly.

"I don't know, Cole. Maybe it's time to tell her…"

Cole shook his head. "Not without Mel's approval."

"Cole, Mel may--" He stopped as Cole rose and placed one hand firmly over his mouth.

"Vic, Mel is a fighter. We _will_ find her. We have to…"

Vic nodded shakily as Cole returned to his seat. "I know, Cole. We'll find her. We will."

"Involving Detective Cruz too closely in this is a bad idea, Vic. Kaehto may still be interested in her."

The human Detective closed his eyes for a moment. "Mar is not the kind of woman who is going to let us keep her out of a case like this…"

Cole looked up at him and his expression said what the placid Cirronian could not. Unless Vic wanted to find himself in Cole's position, he would keep Maria uninvolved.

"Yeah, well…" Vic shifted uneasily. "This is too close to the whole alien thing anyway. She can still help sift through back reports and stuff… She's… supposed to be taking a few days off anyway…"

Cole nodded and rested his hand on Vic's shoulder. "Not involving her is the right thing. Now come on. We have work to do…"

***

"You should eat now," Kaehto told Mel gently, proffering a spoonful of cereal.

Mel hesitated. 

Kaehto was definitely a man used to taking care of his captives. He had already given her a 'bath' with a package of baby-wipes, commenting when she protested that it was how the hospitals handled such things. Ever the considerate psychopath, he had even heated them slightly beforehand so they would not be too cold against her skin. And, to Mel's surprise, it had not been some excuse to cop a feel as she had initially supposed. Like he _needed_ an excuse at this stage, but his detachment had surprised her all the same. Next he had offered her a glass of water, remarking that she looked dehydrated and asking if she felt okay. She had been too thirsty to refuse or consider that there might be anything in it and had drained the glass faster than she would have thought possible through a straw. A second glass had been consumed more slowly and then he had offered her coffee, not batting an eyelash when she declined. After that, he had lower the chain enough to allow her to almost but not quite sit on the cold floor. Most of her weight was still being supported by her arms, but it was a definitely improvement.

And now he wanted her to eat. Mel was a smart woman, knew that a human could go over a week without food. Which meant that if he was feeding her, he intended to keep her alive at least that long. Again Cole's words rang in her head: _every day some new pain… _She did not want to live that long, to end up like that poor girl, catatonic for the rest of her life because some bastard had spent better than a week torturing her. Death by starvation would be preferable.

But at the same time, she had learned last night that disobedience was painful itself. The deep three-inch burn across her cheek and jawbone attested to _that_.

She seized on that burn. "I can't. My face hurts too bad to chew."

Kaehto's eyes widened and he put down the cereal. "Oh, sweetness, why didn't you say so?" he asked, his features reflecting concern as he cradled her face in his hands. 

Mel closed her eyes when she felt the healing warmth. Never mind the dozen or so burns on her chest or the deep, intricate lacerations on her arms that he had inflicted the night before. Kaehto was worried sick by the burn on her face. Mel would almost have preferred consistent sadism to this erratic concern. The night before, casually carving Cirronian love-poetry into her chest, shoulder, and arm, he had sliced too deep, spilling a dangerous amount of blood. Then he had immediately healed that cut with an apology, acting as if the others did not exist, had not been inflicted.

What worried her even more than his unpredictable behavior, though, was his seeming affection for her. He constantly used that term, sweetness, instead of her name. He made casual conversation with her, asked questions about her friends and family. And last night, when she had been in too much pain to do anything but sob, Kaehto had gathered her into his arms and held her close, rocking her and crooning a Cirronian lullaby until she managed to fall asleep.

But in spite of it all, he would not fail to punish her if she disobeyed him. He had made that clear by word _and_ action. When he offered the cereal again, Mel accepted it, but shook her head after less than half a bowl. She was simply in too much pain to eat. If she had any more, her churning stomach would finally revolt.

"No, I'm full."

"You _must_ eat, sweetness. You have to keep your strength up, after all…" He waggled another spoonful of cereal in front of her face.

"If you make me eat more, I _will_ be sick," she told him firmly, unable to believe that she was a hostage, hanging from a chain, _arguing_ with her captor, a deranged killer. Over fruit loops, no less. No wonder his last victim had gone insane.

"Your stomach hurts?"

"Yeah." She nodded faintly.

  
"Okay. You should have just said so," he told her gently. "I've got some antacids around here somewhere. We'll try again in a few hours, see if you aren't more up to eating."

Mel accepted the antacid pills along with a few more sips of water, hoping the pills were what he claimed they were, but honestly not sure she cared. All she wanted was five minutes to say goodbye to Cole. Tears sprung to her eyes at the thought of Cole, her gentle Cirronian. He would be so sad…

"Don't cry, sweetness," Kaehto murmured, tenderly wiping away her tears with a tissue. "It'll be over soon."

Mel's eyes snapped open and she stared at him. "Kaehto…" she began quietly.

"_Hush_, sweetness," he ordered gently, pulling the chain back up to its previous height, leaving her dangling again. "You'll just upset yourself."

"Let me go…"

  
"Soon," he promised. "Soon."

Mel nodded and closed her eyes again, immersing herself in the memory of teaching Cole how to dance rather than thinking about her current circumstances. Part of her wanted to stay there, securely inured in her own mind. Perhaps, somewhere, Cole was doing the same, or maybe just pouring alcohol down his throat until he no longer cared.

__

Melanie Irene Porter! a mental voice chastised her. _You know full well that Cole is doing no such thing. After everything he's done for you, you **owe** it to him to hang on until he can find you…_

Mel smiled involuntarily, aware that she had started mentally referring to herself as 'you' at some point in the last 24 hours.

__

Yes, you have. Now you just relax for a while and let me handle things.

Great, now she was turning into a multiple personality, too. 

__

So which one of us gets to feel the pain? she asked herself.

__

I will. You relax.

Mel reached back to her college days, trying to remember an introductory psychology class that she had mostly slept through but still managed to get an A in. There was a name for what she was doing. What was it? Dissociation, that was it, mental separation from one's environment in response to severe trauma. Well, this definitely qualified as 'severe trauma', and she was not about to argue with some voice in her head that wanted to take her pain on itself.

__

Thanks.

__

Hang in there. He'll come.

__

I know…I'm just wondering if it'll be in time.

__

Be calm. He'll come. He'll come.

"Cold." Kaehto's voice tore her from her conversation with herself.

"Cold?" Mel repeated, shifting uneasily.

"Well, we've seen that electricity doesn't effect you as it might a Cirronian. So now we are going to find out what cold does to that pretty speckled hide of yours."

"And how are 'we' going to do that?" she asked, swallowing hard.

He held up a small cooler. "Dry ice."

"No!" Mel protested, shaking her head violently. "Come on, Kaehto. That stuff burns _humans_!"

"Shh," he soothed, extracting a pair of tongs from his bag and using it to pull a chunk of dry ice from the cooler.

Circling around behind her, he pressed it firmly into the small of her back. On some level, Mel was aware that it hurt, worse than the earlier cuts, definitely worse than the electrical burns. But if the pain was being felt, it was not by her. As Kaehto retrieved a fresh square of dry ice, she closed her eyes and sought out the solace of her memories of Cole. As Kaehto used cold to destroy the skin and muscle, Mel smiled faintly, remembering the first time she had made love to Cole.

***

"Her name was Auli. She was a little girl when Kaehto joined with her. She survived," Cole told Vic quietly, sipping his fourth cup of coffee in the last twenty minutes. Part of him badly longed for the harsh bite and euphoric after-effects of something far stronger. Only the knowledge that Mel needed him kept him from taking advantage of the fact that they were in a bar. "She was so young that she shouldn't have been able to. It was one in a million." He paused, sighing deeply. "It might have been better for her if she hadn't."

"So she's been completely catatonic for more than ten years?" Vic asked. "I mean… isn't that, like, brain dead or something?"

Cole shook his head faintly. "No. The EEG results are… not to be disputed. Her consciousness remains intact. She's just trapped in her own mind. It must have been… easier than dealing with the pain, retreating there like that, but she can't come back. It happens to Cirronians sometimes."

"So you just keep them alive in hospitals until they die naturally?"

Cole nodded faintly. "Auli was just a little girl when it happened. She can be expected to live another sixty years, easily. Maybe more." He took another sip of his coffee, grimacing and adding more sugar. "I used to visit her every few weeks. I used to hope that she would sit up or ask where she was or cry for her mother. I never thought that I would wish to hear a child cry… Where is Detective Cruz?" he demanded, his mood shifting from sadly reflective to annoyed.

As if in answer to the question, Maria Cruz entered the bar with an armload of paperwork. "Here. Sorry. I was on my way out when a call came in. They found Susan Blake's body." She dropped the reports on to the bar. "This is everything I could get my hands on before the Captain realized I was there and not home."

"It's a start. Thank you," Cole told her, grabbing the closest report and paging through it. "Where are the autopsies?" he asked, looking up.

"Here." Maria handed him a folder. "If you've eaten recently, you might want to hold off on the pictures."

"Mar," Vic protested, frowning.

"I'm dead serious. Some of those bodies have electrical and chemical burns like I've never seen before."

"I've seen them before," Cole provided, closing his eyes. He badly needed a drink. Or someone to hit. "Vic, he's…" Cole paused, recalling that Maria was present. "He's doing to them what he did to Auli, Vic. That's why you can't isolate a cause of death on half of them."

"How did you know that?" Maria demanded, gaping. He had taken one look at _one_ picture.

"I've seen this before," Cole told her simply. "She won't survive this, Vic."

"But she's--"

"Almost certainly incapable of surviving it," Cole interrupted firmly.

"Mar, can Cole and I have five minutes alone?" Vic asked, grabbing the Cirronian by the arm and hauling him into the back room. "You said only children could die from these joinings," Vic hissed.

"Cirronian children, adult humans." He shook his head. "Her life-force is not adequately developed. If he tries to join with her, it will kill her."

"Why? How?"

"It's… a weak life-force and a strong one. The sudden influx of a substantially stronger life-force would be like possession by one of the fugitives. The weaker life-force is overwhelmed and destroyed. A body will not endure without a soul. Death is immediate."

Vic nodded, inhaling deeply. "So what the hell am I supposed to tell Maria?"

"That a sudden, massive electrical discharge can stop a human heart from beating," Cole told him, slipping from the room.

Vic shrugged and followed. It was something, and not entirely untrue from what he understood of Cirronian physiology. Certainly the burns bore it out. Sort of. Unless she dug too deeply.

"He'll use a different location to keep each victim," Cole was telling Maria as the two shuffled through reports. "I have a list of potential sites that we can match against any sites that you have found."

"One being the warehouse where we confronted him."

Cole nodded and crossed that location from his list.

"Of five victims, we've only found the sites where two of them were held," Maria told Cole, pointing to the other site on the list. "That's by the waterfront. Not a lot to work with there…"

"What about dumping sites?" Vic asked. "He wouldn't be dumping close to where he held them, would he?"

Cole considered. "He never did in the past. Here, it may be different. He's changed. Many things about him have changed."

"Hey, the tools may change, but the MO is the same," Vic told him.

"No…" Cole realized shaking his head. "Not entirely. There are new factors to consider."

"Like what?"

"One. One important one," Cole told him quietly. 

"_Human body?_" Vic mouthed.

Cole nodded imperceptibly. "Detective Cruz, _do_ you have the locations where the bodies were disposed of?"

"Yeah, the ones we've found… They're in here somewhere. Hang on." Maria nodded and began shuffling through the papers as Cole and Vic moved off.

"Human bodies?" Vic repeated in a whisper. "How would that change anything?"

"It's something I told Mel. Not something I had realized before. Touch," Cole whispered.

"Touch?" Vic repeated, frowning.

Cole glanced in Maria's direction before murmuring his answer. "Cirronians don't experience the sensation of touch. Human bodies _do_, very strongly. It is… overwhelming initially. You modify your behavior in accordance; you _have_ to. You get used to it eventually, but it is always very intense and it does continue to impact behavior. It may not seem like much to you, but it explains a lot, I think."

"Touch is a very underrated sensation," Vic whispered. "Kaehto said that when he had Mar. He mentioned that she sleeps in silk, that it means that she likes the sense of touch."

Cole nodded faintly. "It would be a very desirable trait in a victim, a woman with a heightened sense of touch…"

"He's going for maximum impact. He wants these women to _really_ feel it."

Cole nodded faintly. "I think so. There's more, though. He is… enjoying the murders in a new way." His expression reflected every bit of the disgust he felt at the thought. "Harming these women is no longer just emotional for him. There is sensation now…"

"He's getting off on it?" Vic demanded, his own disgust as obvious as Cole's.

"Most serial killers do," Maria pointed out gently, joining them. "There's a psychological thrill and a physical one. It _is_ sexual for most of them…"

  
"Excuse me," Vic muttered, hurrying in the direction of the bathroom.

"Some homicide cop," she sighed, shaking her head. "Man should have been a social worker."

"You should go to him," Cole suggested gently.

"Yeah." Maria nodded and hurried after Vic.

Sighing deeply, Cole walked to the bar and picked up a bottle, regarding it thoughtfully for a moment. With a bitter laugh, he put it down and poured himself another cup of coffee.

"I'll find you," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I couldn't save Nallia, Mel, but I _will _save you. I promise you this. _Hwa'an nor-O_," he whispered. "Light the path of your son, hold your daughter in the protection of your warming embrace. Hwa'an nor-O… Mother, _help me_," he pled, wrapping his arms around himself and sobbing.

***

"Way to keep your head, Vicky," Maria muttered, walking up behind him where he stood in front of a sink, leaning heavily on it and rinsing out his mouth.

"Thank you **_so_** much for the support, Mar!" he snapped.

"That man is out there crying and praying, Vic Bruno… I _think_ praying," she amended. "He _needs_ you. Now, I know how you feel about Mel, but you need to take a step back from this or you're no good to her, either."

He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. "If it were you, I'd be the one crying and praying, Mar. You know that."

"Yeah, I do. Come here, baby," she sighed, gathering him into her arms. 

"I don't know if I can do this," he whispered, shaking his head. "Christ, Mar. He goes after you, then he goes after Mel… and Cole says if I let you get too close, he may go after you again!"

She sighed deeply. "We'll deal with it. We'll find a way to deal. And if you need to break down or vent or whatever, you feel free, but you do _not_ go doing it in front of the victim's boyfriend. That's what _I_ am here for, baby."

"I love you," Vic chuckled, shaking his head.

"Likewise. You okay? Ready to get back on the horse? We have a lot of paperwork to shift through, here."

Vic nodded and squared his shoulders. "Yeah. Let's go."


	8. Chapter 8

****

Chapter 8

__

How much blood can a person lose? Mel wondered.

It didn't matter, she was assured. He would heal her if she started losing too much. He would heal her. It was what he did. He cut, he healed. Usually…

__

What if he doesn't this time?

That would be fine, came the answer. A woman who had recently been considering starving herself to death had no room to complain about blood-loss. It was not as if she was in any pain. She was simply watching Kaehto flay her alive, a third-party observer: no pain, no emotion.

"How much longer?" she asked easily.

"Soon, sweetness. Soon," he promised. "Does that hurt?" His voice, when he asked, was almost hopeful.

"Mmm hmm…" Mel nodded faintly, sure that it must be painful, whether she could feel it or not. "How will you kill me?" _Cole, come soon. He's getting restless…_

"I haven't decided yet," he told her gently, brushing her hair out of her face and caressing her cheeks. "Do you have a preference?"

"Let me think about it." It was one way to buy herself time. She wondered, not for the first time, how she could feel so calm.

He smiled and nodded. "Okay. There's always joining," he pointed out. "It's incredibly pleasant and I don't think you could survive it."

"Cole says not," Mel agreed, looking down at her bleeding stomach. "But no. Not that, okay? Anything else, but not that. Promise me?"

"We'll see."

Mel shivered. _Death by joining. Lovely. Can you say 'Tev'?_

"You cold?" he asked, concerned. He rose quickly and retrieved a blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders as well as he could given her position. "Better, sweetness?"

She nodded faintly. "I'm still bleeding," she reminded him quietly.

"Oh! I almost forgot…" Smiling tenderly, he quickly healed the worst of the cuts and covered the rest with some yellow powder that stopped the blood from flowing but stung horribly. Using it the day before, he had mentioned off-handedly that it was popular among dog groomers when they accidentally drew blood. "Are you always so quiet?" he asked gently, sliding his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder as he waited for her answer.

"I guess," Mel said, her mind trying to make sense of the question. 

It did not take her long to figure it out. He _wanted_ her to suffer. He would immediately comfort her if she was in pain, but he enjoyed making it happen, too. This was beyond the ambivalence she had initially suspected him of. Part of him genuinely wanted to make her scream. Another part just as genuinely wanted to soothe away her pain. She could not wrap her brain around that and was not sure that she wanted to try. Instead, she focused on how to use that conflict to her own advantage.

***

"He did _what_?" Zin repeated quietly.

Lana shifted uneasily. When Zin got _that_ quiet, necks got broken. "He took the Porter woman. Now the Tracker and both Detectives Bruno and Cruz are in pursuit."

"Bring him to me," Zin ordered gently. "We need to have a _long_ talk.

"That could take a little while, Zin. He's gone to ground."

"**_Damn it!_**" Zin snarled, slamming his fist against his desk. The wood laminate buckled and cracked. Several bones in the Vardian's hand did the same.

Lana winced. "Sir…" she began, concerned by the obviously painful injuries.

"Leave me," he directed, ignoring her. 

"No." She shook her head. "You're hurt."

"So? I gave you an _order_, woman!"

"Don't start on me, Zin. I mean it." Lana's face hardened, stubbornness replacing concern. "That is _not_ how our relationship works. I don't follow your orders; I work in your best interest. There's a difference." 

"Stubborn brat," he muttered bitterly.

"When it suits me," she agreed, concern once more obvious in tone and feature. 

He glared up at her for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head. "My dear Doctor Lana…"

"Yes, my dear Doctor Zin?"

"Order me a painkiller."

She nodded and picked up his phone, relaying the order. "Will there be anything else?"

"Your operatives will find the Cirronian Kaehto for me."

  
"Is his death to be quick or slow? And by whose hand? Yours?"

"The Tracker's," Zin informed her quietly, holding up his uninjured hand when she opened her mouth to protest. "An example _must_ be made. Our workforce has become too complacent, no longer adequately pliable."

"And how shall this problem be resolved?" She did not even look up when someone arrived with the ordered pills. "Leave them," she directed. The runner did so gratefully, fleeing.

"How indeed," Zin murmured as Lana gestured towards the bottle and it flew in to her hand.

She considered, mentally pouring a glass of water for Zin as she pulled two pills from the bottle. "These will make you feel better."

"Thank you, dear." Zin smiled warmly at her and swallowed the pills. "Back to the problem at hand, hmm?"

"Indeed." Lana nodded faintly.

"They do not sufficiently fear the inner circle, Lana."

"So I've noticed."

He smiled faintly at the dry comment. "We must tighten the leash. We will make an example of Kaehto. Layon thera ayjata. Give him to the Tracker, Lana." 

"That is one hell of an example, Zin."

"Nor shall it be the only one. We have kill-teams; we should be using them to keep our people in line. This disloyalty _sickens_ me. You make sure the others are informed of our policy-change. Disloyalty _must_ have its punishments, dear…"

Lana nodded faintly. "The punishment should be random in all cases, but it must always fit the crime. The old laws will prevail. _Fear_ will keep them in line."

Zin nodded sharply. "This is not a summer-camp, Lana. Make sure that they understand that."

"As you would have it, Zin." Lana bowed her head.

Zin smiled faintly, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Find out where Kaehto is, then inform the Tracker," he directed. 

She nodded sharply.

"Just don't get yourself Collected!" he called after her as she left.

***

Mel shook her head as Kaehto offered up another spoonful of soup. "You could untie me, you know. I wouldn't try to get away."

"Of _course_ you would, sweetness. And then I'd have to kill you." Kaehto shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I just _can't_ take that kind of chance. Here, have another sip," he directed.

"I _can't_. My stomach hurts!" Mel shook her head in irritation. "You can shove as many damned antacids down my throat as you want and it's not going to _stop_ hurting! If you make me eat one more bite I am going to puke all over you…" She shook her head again. 

"Disobedience has its punishments," he reminded her gently. "_Eat_, sweetness."

"I _can't_!" 

"Fine." Shrugging in annoyance he rose and started riffling through a large duffle-bag. "You know, _this_ is why I prefer children," he told her. "They are _so_ much more amenable to doing what they're told…"

Mel wondered what new torture-implement he was looking for now. She was not prepared to see him pull out a bag of saline.

"What are you going to do with that?"

"If you won't eat, we'll just have to feed you intravenously." Smiling and shrugging, he uncapped the needle. "Now, I'm out of glucose," he told her conversationally as he searched her taped arms for a vein. "So I'm going to have to go and get some. We'll start you on the saline now, though. Wouldn't want you to get dehydrated, after all. Small prick…"

"Ah!" Mel yelped as he slipped the needle into the large vein at the crook of her left elbow. 

"Ay ay, sweetness," he soothed, feeding in the tubing and removing the needle. "It might feel a little cold at first, but you'll be surprised how quickly you start feeling better."

Mel closed her eyes, sighing deeply as she felt the cold bite of the saline. 

"Do try not to throw up while I'm gone," he urged gently. "If you get dehydrated, I may have to give you potassium, and that just _hurts_, sweetness." He patted her head lightly as he rose. "I won't be gone an hour," he promised. "You'll be just fine."

The minute he was gone, Mel started struggling against the tape binding her. "Come on, damn it!" she hissed at herself, willing herself to find some previously undiscovered ounce of strength. 

It was not lost on her that if she had eaten nearly as much as Kaehto had been trying to force on her she would have been _much_ stronger than she was now. Whether that would have made a difference or not, she could not have said. Cursing, she redoubled her struggles. 

"Cole, where _are_ you?" she sobbed, closing her eyes and straining against the tape on her wrists and feet until both bled. 

"He comes," a gentle voice replied.

"What?" Mel whispered, looking around frantically.

Her eyes settled on a young woman, not more than four foot ten and incredibly slender. Her black hair was pulled sleekly back into a tight bun and her suit probably cost more than the bar cleared in a _month_. She crossed the warehouse, seemingly unmoved by the sight of a mostly-naked woman strung up in the middle of the warehouse.

"He comes," she repeated gently, moving to stand next to Mel and glancing at her IV. "The Tracker. He will be here soon." She checked the tubing and read the bag, then pressed two fingers to Mel's throat, feeling for a pulse. "You're stronger than I would have thought possible. You'll be fine."

"Get me out of here," Mel pled, looking desperately up at the girl.

"I can't; I'm not allowed." She shook her head. "But he _will_ come for you. I promise."

"Who are you?" Mel whispered.

"My name is Lana."

"Lana? The _Vardian_?" Mel whispered, tensing and shying away. Or _trying_ to.

Lana smiled faintly and nodded. "Ah, my reputation precedes me, does it? Splendid."

Hope faded. Mel was sure that Lana was there to taunt her and it showed on her face.

Lana chuckled and shook her head. "Understand, Melanie Porter, that Kaehto has displeased Zin in taking you. He _was_ warned but he chose to disregard that. And now he must pray the price."

"You're going to kill him?"

She shook her head faintly. "I leave _that_ chore to the capable hands of your mate."

"Cole's not like you. He's not a killer."

"Isn't he?" Lana asked gently. "My dear, _all_ people have it in them to become killers, even Cirronians as Kaehto has so amply proved. Roused to ire, even the most pacific of species can bring themselves to take life. _Especially_ in the defense of offspring or a mate."

"Cole won't kill him," Mel whispered defiantly, shaking her head.

"No?" Lana asked, amused.

"No. Kaehto may _deserve_ to die, but Cole won't kill him." She shook her head again. "He's not like you. He's a good man."

"If you say so, my dear." Lana smiled faintly and patted Mel's cheek. "And _I_ say to watch and learn. Brutality is in the nature of _all_ living creatures. It's a matter of pleasure and survival…" Her smile widened when Mel remained stubbornly silent. "He comes," she repeated, rising. "Don't tell…" Winking at Mel, she turned and strode from the warehouse. 

"Lana!" Mel shouted after her. "Come back! Let me out of here…"

"He comes," she repeated yet again, turning to face Mel. "Zin has taken an interest in you. He does not take kindly to interference with his pet projects." Smiling and bowing to Mel, she left, calling over her shoulder, "Ayjata thera ayjata, Melanie!"

"Vardians," Mel muttered in disgust, shaking her head and wondering what Lana's parting words had been. 

She repeated them to herself a few times, determined to ask Cole about them and wanting to commit them to memory. They had a very different sound to them than Cirronian, less breathy, more forceful. Each word was pronounced distinctly and emphasized in more than one place, giving the impression that the sounds were almost _spit_ out. None of the words or sounds flowed into each other the way Cirronian words did. She repeated them to herself a few more times as she resumed her struggles. 

"Now _what_ are you up to, sweetness?" Kaehto's voice rang through the warehouse.

Mel winced, aware that, with blood streaming down her arms and pooling around her feet, it would be quite obvious to him _exactly_ what she had been up to. It was, too, she could tell. The smile never left his face, but it no longer reached his eyes, either. Those dead, dark eyes started at her penetratingly and they were, for once, _not_ happy. 

  
"Now what were you trying to do to yourself?" he asked with a sigh, shaking his head. "Honestly, sweetness. I don't know why I put up with you half the time." Sighing deeply, he reached into his bag and pulled out an IV bag of glucose, shaking his head and clucking his tongue as he worked. Shaking his head, he retrieved a first-aid kit. "Let's get you cleaned up."

***

"According to Agent Kallissa's profile," Cole began absently as he paged through the reports Maria had brought with the help of the two humans. "A large part of each kidnapping and murder is about power, dominance. Whether he is making them suffer or comforting them when they _do_, he is in control of the situation. The power is his."

  
"He comforts his victims?" Maria asked, looking up from the report she was leafing through.

Cole nodded faintly, not looking up from his own report. "When we captured him the first time, Auli, his victim… he was holding her, singing to her."

"How old was she?"

"Around eight," Cole told her. "He did so many horrible things to her, but when we found him, he was rocking her in his arms and singing her a lullaby…"

"She was still alive?"

Cole sighed deeply, nodding. "She was his only victim to survive. Ever."

"But she's been catatonic ever since," Vic added to Maria in a low voice. "Eleven years and counting."

Maria nodded faintly. "What else do we know about this guy?"

  
"His parents died in an accident when he was very young. He never formed lasting emotional attachments, no friends. He married, but she died as well. He may have been responsible, but we honestly aren't sure. About a year after that, he took his first victim. She was a mature woman, not a young girl. He prefers young girls, but he developed that preference later in his career. His first victims tended to resemble his wife. He was either attempting to replace her or killing her all over again. We just don't know."

"What about this thing he has for cops and their families?" Vic asked.

Cole considered. "He's a cocky man. Taking the wife or daughter of someone in law enforcement gives him a feeling of additional power, especially when he can not save her."

"If he likes young girls," Maria began softly. "The why me and then Melanie? Why not go after some kid or teenager?"

"I don't know _why_ he went after you," Cole admitted. "But Mel might have been revenge."

"Because you stopped him from taking me?" Maria whispered. "Christ, Cole, I didn't know. I'm sorry…"

  
"Maria, there is nothing for you to be sorry about," Cole told her gently. "Kaehto only is to blame."

"Who?" Maria asked, frowning.

"William Brandon," Vic told her, shaking his head at Cole. "Forget it."

Maria narrowed her eyes but shrugged. Later, in private, she would have the whole truth from Vic. That was just all there was to it. In the meantime, she had more important considerations.

"Consider it forgotten." 

"Hand me that map again," Cole murmured to Vic. 

"Here you go."  


"Thanks." Cole nodded and looked at it again, grabbing a pen. "We start with these three. If they aren't there, we move on to--" He paused as the front door opened. "We're closed!" he called. "That's what the sign says."

"My dear Professor Daggon," a low female voice greeted him.

Cole frowned and rose, turning to face her and gesturing for Vic and Maria to stay put. Vic grabbed Maria's arm and shook his head when she tried to rise. 

"I bear you a gift, Daggon. And greetings, from an old friend."

"_You!_" he snarled, pulling out his Collector and rushing her.

Lana raised her hand casually and Cole found himself unable to move. The Collector went flying from his hand.

"You can't keep this up indefinitely," he pointed out.

"Nor do I have to. Listen well," she ordered. "Ayjata thera ayjata. Nalloná herata dalooh, werayn sero esaera. Layon thera--"

"I've heard enough," Cole interrupted sharply. "Those are _old_ laws. You no longer follow them and we never did." He shook his head. "They are the kind of laws we came together to _abolish_." 

She scoffed faintly. "They still prevail with some."

"You and Zin, Lana? You hardly represent the will of your people."

"You'd be surprised…"

"Lana?" Maria whispered to a wide-eyed Vic. "Zin's right hand?"

He nodded faintly, rising with her.

She lifted her other hand, telekinetically forestalling both humans and never taking her eyes from Cole. 

"What the hell?" Maria demanded, horrified and confused to find herself unable to advance.

"Hush, baby," Vic directed gently. "It's okay. We're okay." _I hope…_

"This does not, by any stretch, qualify as 'okay', Vicky," she hissed.

"Shh. I'm trying to listen."

"We offer you Kaehto as a gift, Daggon. Ayjata thera ayjata. Blood will be repaid in blood. He is yours to do with as you will."

"There will be no bloodshed. You know what I will do with him."

"I know what you are directed to do by the oath you swore. And I know what I would do if it were _my_ mate."

Cole shook his head. "You tell Zin that if he thinks that sending Kaehto after Mel and then--"

"Kaehto took the mongrel against orders. In fact, Zin was most insistent that he limit his attentions to this one." She approached Maria, regarding her thoughtfully for a moment. "She'd have made a good host. They both would have," she told Cole, moving to stand in front of him again. She stared up at him, undaunted by the fact that he was a foot and a half taller and weighed at least three times as much. "Kaehto disobeyed not one but _two_ direct orders from Doctor Zin. Disloyalty has its punishments. In this case, we… withdraw our protection. You will find them in a warehouse." She quietly relayed directions, then turned to leave.

"Lana!" Cole called after her.

"Hmm?" she asked, turning to face him again.

"Mel?" he whispered.

"She lived and was strong when I spoke to her not an hour ago. Her life is Zin's gift to you, free of expectation or condition. As for Kaehto's life… Layon thera ayjata." With a bow, she spun on her heel and left.

"What the hell does that mean?" Vic demanded, suddenly able to move again.

Maria went after Lana at a run, but she was nowhere to be seen on the empty street. Cursing under her breath in Spanish, she reentered the bar. As badly as she had wanted answers before, she wanted them twice as badly now. Something was seriously messed up in all of this.

"Yeah, what _does_ it mean?" she asked Cole.

"Layon thera ayjata." Cole sighed. "Disloyalty will be repaid in blood." He shook his head. "Kaehto went renegade. Zin thinks I'll kill him for what he's doing to Mel." He shook his head and walked to retrieve his Collector.

"It's a trap," Vic said. "Must be."

Cole shook his head. "No. Not even Lana would invoke the old laws unless she meant it. She spoke the truth. Are you coming?"

"Cole, just tell me you aren't letting yourself be blinded by what you _want_ to hear," Vic whispered. 

He shook his head. "She speaks the truth." 

Vic nodded. "Okay. Let's roll." 

"We should call this in," Maria pointed out.

"If we do that, he will kill her," Cole said softly. "Just as he did to you when it became clear that he was outnumbered. Our only chance is to do this without being noticed."

Maria inhaled deeply. He claimed to have worked this case before, except that William Brandon had never been in trouble with the law, not so much as a parking ticket. At the same time, he knew more details about the case than anyone who had not worked it should have. One more mystery.

"Okay, but I'm coming," she announced.

"Mar," Vic began. 

"I am _coming_," she repeated firmly. "No more lies, Vicky. I want to see what's going on for myself."

"No, Mar, you don't," he assured her.

"Should I go _alone_?" Cole demanded, glaring at the two.

"No." Maria shook her head. "We're coming."


	9. Chapter 9

****

Chapter 9

"Cole, how do you know Lana?" Maria asked gently as she drove.

"A long time ago she worked for a man I called friend," Cole answered quietly from the back seat, staring pensively out the window and lapsing into silence.

"Fine." Maria sighed and glanced at her partner, sitting next to her. "Vicky, _you_ tell me. How does he know Lana? And why was she was speaking in tongues?"

"Just the one tongue," Cole contributed absently.

"Don't help, Cole," Vic advised, shaking his head. 

"Sorry, Vic."

"I _hate_ being kept out of the loop," Maria told them. "And it is _not_ going to go on after this is over. I want answers, not these 'I work for the government but not this one' evasions. I'm sick of them."

"Mar," Vic began.

"Don't. Just don't. Damn it, Vic. You've been _lying_ to me! I don't even know if I can trust you any more…"

"Baby…"

"We'll talk about it _later_."

  
"What is your problem?" Vic sighed.

"Dozens upon dozens of dead bodies? All people who match the profile of the men and women your friend here is going after. We've been edgy over this for better than a year and suddenly you're defending and covering for a man who could well--"

"I don't take life, Detective," Cole told her softly. "I never have and I never will. I promise you this."

"_Right_… And what was up with Lana pulling a Carrie on us, exactly?"

"Carrie?" Cole repeated, frowning. "Who is Carrie?"

"She's a fictional character, Cole," Vic said softly. "A… uh, a telekinetic." 

"Oh." Cole nodded. "Lana _is_--"

"Don't help, Cole," Vic repeated. "Mar, can we _please_ discuss this another time?"

She shrugged. "Fine. But make no mistake. We _will_ discuss it and we _will_ do so to my satisfaction. You understand me?"

"Yeah." Vic nodded. "And do _you_ understand that I've only kept you in the dark this long to keep you safe?"

"I'm willing to concede that, Vicky," Maria told him, sighing. "I just… Next time one of these people kills me, I want to know what I'm dying for."

"The safety of more people than you can possibly imagine," Cole whispered, reaching into the front seat and touching her cheek.

Maria's first impulse was to recoil, exactly as she always did from _any_ uninvited touch, but his fingers were warm and gentle and their touch somehow brought with it a sense of calm and certainty. If she had not been behind the wheel of a car, she probably would have given in to the impulse to close her eyes and just enjoy it. It was not like being touched by Vic, carried a whole different emotional pull to it, but it was no less pleasant. She was no longer even a little agitated or suspicious.

"You have no idea what Zin and his people are planning," Cole continued gently. "It can't be allowed, for all our sakes. If you can't trust me, trust the man you love. I have never lied to him about who and what I am. He knows what I'm trying to do here and why. And he knows that it's the right thing. That's why he's helping me."

"I don't do blind faith well," Maria said softly, shaking her head. She was willing to place her curiosity on a back burner for now, if only because they had a life to save, but she _would_ have her answers.

"It's never easy, but sometimes necessary," Cole told her. "After we've rescued Mel, I'll talk to her about telling you everything. Then _we_ will talk."

"Mel? What's she have to do with anything?"

  
"I value her advice greatly. I _usually_ do what she suggests; it's the reason I waited so long to tell Vic."

"How far into… your job is she?"

"Farther than I am," Vic answered for Cole. "Way deeper than I'll _ever_ be."

Cole nodded. "Vic's right. She's incredibly important to what we do, but her importance is _well_ beyond that, too. Turn left here…"

"How much farther?" Vic asked.

"Fifteen minutes if traffic is light," Cole told him. "It's in a mostly-abandoned industrial area."

"So were the other two we found," Maria told him.

"It's so no one will hear the screams," Cole told her simply before lapsing into silence again.

***

"Who was here with you earlier, sweetness?" Kaehto asked casually as he changed Mel's IV bags. 

Mel's eyes widened faintly and only the fact that she was trussed up in a way that precluded _most_ movement kept her from wincing at the question.

"What do you mean?"

"I'd say it's fairly _obvious_ what I mean," he muttered, shaking his head. "Who was here and when were you going to **_tell_** me you had company?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied softly. He was losing his cool and that was _not_ a promising sign. _Come on, Cole. Come on…_

"Vardian female," he clarified, annoyed. "_Name_ her."

Right, Cirronians could sense life-forces. Oops… "I don't know any Vardian females."

"It was Zin's little whore, wasn't it?" Kaehto demanded, losing even the pretense of composure. "What was _she_ doing here? What did she _want_?"

"I don't know. She came, looked around, and _left_," Mel assured him quickly. "I don't _know_ what she wanted…"

"Did she _say_ anything to you?"

"No." Mel shook her head quickly. "No, of course not." She took a deep breath, aware that she was facing one very pissed off Cirronian. He was losing control of the situation and he _knew_ it. "If she had said anything, I would have told you about it. You know that, Kaehto… It's just that she left without saying a word so I didn't think it was worth worrying you about." **_Please_** be as stupid as you are crazy.

"It's funny but… I don't believe you. I think you're lying to me, sweetness." Kneeling in front of her, he caught her chin in his hand and held it in a bruising grip. Shaking his head, he leaned towards her until their noses were almost touching. "_Why_ are you lying to me, Melanie?" he hissed.

"I'm _not_," she whispered, trying to shake her head.

"I have an acetylene torch in my bag, sweetness. Now I was saving it for later, but we can break it out now if you really want." Met with silence, he walked over to his bag and produced the blowtorch in question. "I've gotten _very_ good at using this," he purred, moving to kneel in front of her again, torch in hand. He turned it on and lit it with a spark from one fingertip.

Tears formed in her eyes as the flame passed dangerously close to her face.

"Don't cry, sweetness," he soothed, turning it off and caressing her throat gently.

Mel shivered under the touch, a sick mockery of Cole's way of comforting her.

"She told you not to let me know she'd been here, didn't she?"

"Yes," Mel whispered, more than willing to sell Zin's most trusted advisor out to buy herself some clemency. 

"Okay." He nodded, the tenderness returning to his eyes. He threw the torch aside and hastened to reassure her. "It's okay. I'm not mad at you. It's not your fault, sweetness. It's that Vardian whore. She _made_ you lie to me."

Mel nodded hastily.

"However, we _do_ have a problem now. Lana won't let you stay with me, sweetness." He shook his head faintly, pulling the IV tubing out of her arm and quickly healing the prick.

Mel's eyes widened. He was going to kill her now, she knew with certainty. His way of 'keeping' her. 

"You don't know that," she protested in a harsh whisper.

"I know Lana. She belongs to Zin and Zin is not happy with me right now. Lana will make me suffer by taking you away from me. You _know_ I can't let her do that, Melanie." He caressed her cheeks gently, his expression apologetic. "You need to pick now."

"Pick?" she repeated, her stomach sinking. 

He nodded gently. "How would you like to die?"

"Old age springs to mind…"

He chuckled and shook his head. "For _you_, it will be painless. You know, I'm sorry we didn't have the time to get to know each other better. But I do love you, sweetness. It won't hurt, I promise. You'll like it. You will…" 

He gave her a gentle smile and his hands dropped from her face to her throat. Blue-white sparks of energy appeared under his fingertips.

  
"No, Kaehto, don't," Mel protested, shaking her head. "Don't do this…"

"Don't be scared. I would never hurt you…"

  
"Then what the hell have you been doing to me for the past two days!" she shouted, tears spilling down her face. "Let me go, you son of a bitch!"

"Oh, you're just nervous," he cooed. "Just relax into it. Let it happen."

  
"**_No!_**" She shook her head, sobbing. "Oh, God!" she protested as she felt her temperature spiking. Her head was swimming and her entire body felt like she was holding on to a live wire. "Stop it!" 

Cursing, she started struggling as much as she could, ignoring the pain it caused her to strain against the tape. Pain was rapidly receding in favor of a strange sense of insubstantiality. She could almost feel the air passing through her body, no longer repelled by the barrier of her skin.

As Mel continued struggling and cursing, Kaehto continued caressing her throat and releasing mating energy into her body, smiling as the changes he was triggering began to manifest themselves in the form of a white glow, hanging around her skin.

"Almost there," he promised her, untaping her wrists and allowing himself to start glowing as well.

"No," Mel sobbed, dropping to the floor and shaking her head. 

Even that action was becoming more and more difficult, though, as Kaehto continued to flood her with mating energy. Moving was almost impossible and her tears were evaporating on her too-hot cheeks as soon as she could shed them. She was glowing, but it was nothing like the warm, gentle glow that she cast off making love to Cole. This was a hot, burning electric-white light, almost painful in its intensity, and it was growing stronger by the second. She could feel her body changing to allow Kaehto access and, as much as she struggled against it, she could not slow the shift.

Cole had explained Cirronian mating to her, told her about the biology behind it and how glorious it could be. When she had discovered her own Cirronian heritage, she had ached to share something so amazing with Cole. But he had always made it clear to her: until she was better trained, her life-force stronger, an attempt at joining would almost certainly be fatal.

Kaehto rose once he was satisfied with her state, stripping off his clothes, and Mel realized that he was going to rape her in the human fashion before he did so in the Cirronian one. 

No longer even able to struggle, Mel accepted the inevitable, exactly as a Cirronian should. With grace.

"I love you, Cole. And I'll miss you."

***

"Here, here. This is where she said," Cole announced, bounding out of the car. 

Vic grabbed his arm as he started towards the warehouse. "Are you _sure_ this isn't an ambush?"

Cole nodded, shrugging off Vic's grasp and running towards the warehouse. Vic and Maria followed close on his heels. The three burst into the warehouse at almost the same moment. The sight that caused Vic and Maria to stop in their tracks, staring on in awe, spurred Cole into Hyperspeed.

Mel, glowing brilliant-white, illuminating the entire warehouse. Her body, barely substantial, lay on the floor in the center of the warehouse, and she was obviously unable to move in such an advanced state of readiness. Kaehto was leaning over her, naked, his human body as ready for mating as his Cirronian spirit as he stripped off her underwear. A pale white glow hung about him, growing stronger by the second as he dispensed with the underwear and climbed on top of the sobbing woman.

Screaming, Cole barreled in to the other Cirronian at Hyperspeed, bearing him to the floor and landing two heavy blows to the face before Hyperspeed faltered. Cursing in every language he knew, the Tracker continued driving his fist into the other Cirronian's face.

Vic shook off his shock first, rushing to Mel's side. He reached towards her, then pulled back, not sure if he should touch her or not. 

"Mel?" he whispered, needing both guidance and reassurance that she was alive.

"Stop him," Mel managed. Talking was hard, but she _had_ to. "Don't let him kill him."

"Mel?"

"Cole's not a killer. Don't let him be one, Vic. _Please_…"

"Mar!" Vic shouted, waving her over.

Maria ran over then, crouching next to Mel. "What do I do for her?"

"I have no fucking clue." Vic shook his head. "Just stay with her." At Maria's nod, he raced to Cole's side, grabbing a raised fist and getting himself thrown twenty feet for his troubles. "Cole! Stop!" he ordered, scrambling back over to him. "Mel says you're not a killer!" he snapped. "Don't you _dare_ make a liar out of her."

Cole shook himself, letting out a low moan. "Mel…"

"She's okay," Vic assured him, hoping it was true. "Take the man's life-force and get it over with," he whispered harshly.

"You deserve death," Cole whispered to Kaehto, wrapping one hand around his throat.

"Cole," Vic whispered, shaking his head.

"Do it. You'll like it." Kaehto smiled up at him.

Cole raised his fist again, driving it into Kaehto's chest, hard enough to not just break but shatter bones. 

"Cole!" Vic protested, wincing as the normally-gentle Cirronian punched Kaehto again, in the stomach this time. 

The Cirronian kept smiling in spite of the two rapidly growing black bruises forming on his chest and stomach. Frustrated by his refusal to cry out, Cole grabbed his arm and jerked it backwards, audibly dislocating it. Throughout, his hand never left the other Cirronian's throat.

"You are an affront to _everything_ that it means to be Cirronian!" he snarled, driving his fist into Kaehto's collarbone as he drove his knee into his groin. The collarbone was reduced to dust, and even if Kaehto survived, he would never be able to rape a woman again, not in the human fashion. "You revel in the pain you cause!" Another sharp blow to the side of Kaehto's face, accompanied by a satisfying crack of bones. "You deserve death," he repeated in a grim whisper, slamming his fist into Kaehto's chest, which caved under the pressure.

"Damn it, Cole!" Vic hissed. "You want Mel to spend the rest of her life knowing that you cold-bloodedly killed this guy?" Part of him was worried that it was too late.

"He deserves death," the Cirronian answered simply. "But it is not my place."

Shaking his head, Cole produced the Collector and slammed it into his into his chest. The Cirronian took his time with the procedure, longer even than he had with Rhee and Tev. There was no satisfaction in prolonging the process he realized, not sure how he felt about that fact. Shaking his head, he finished quickly. 

"No, I wouldn't have enjoyed it," Cole whispered to the corpse, shaking his head. "I'm not like you…"

Maria bent over the still-glowing Mel, pretending that she had not seen what she thought she had seen. When Cole scrambled to her side, she fell back, rising.

"What's _wrong_ with her?" she demanded.

"Doesn't matter," Vic assured her. "She'll be fine. I think… Cole?"

"She'll be fine," Cole agreed, nodding and gathering her into his arms. "My love…"

"Cole, you didn't kill him, did you?" she managed weakly.

"No, Mel." Cole shook his head. "I wanted to, though."

  
"But you didn't and that's _all_ that matters…" A translucent, luminous hand came up to dry his tears. "How long will I be like this?"

"It will go away in a few hours. I'll stay right here with you." Lowering his voice for her ears alone, he added, "And then I'll heal your injuries."

"Thank you."

  
"Vic, Detective Cruz. Can you leave us?" Cole asked. 

  
"Will you two be okay?" Vic asked, watching the two with concern.

"We'll be fine, Vic," Mel assured him. "I just need to get some rest…"

"Come on, Mar," Vic said, catching at her arm and tugging. "They need some time alone. They almost lost each other."

Stunned by everything she had seen in the last five minutes, Maria allowed herself to be led from the warehouse.

Cole held her against his chest and began crooning in Cirronian until the glow began to fade and his love once again seemed fully human. He assessed her injuries quickly, fighting the urge to be ill at what he saw. Cirronian love-poetry had been carved into her chest and one arm. Electrical burns peppered most of her chest and torso. Her stomach was partially flayed, only the muscle remaining. Both shoulders were dislocated, the ligaments torn. And there were burns on her back that could only have been caused by extreme cold.

He healed her stomach first, as the wound most likely to get infected, and then the cuts on her chest and arm. The gouged cuts healed easily, not leaving a mark to suggest that they had ever been present. Her stomach would always bear a large, livid scar. There was nothing the Cirronian could do about that. Drained by the two healings preformed when he was already weak, he did not have it in him to heal the rest of her injuries. They were not life-threatening; they could wait. With a muttered apology, he forced her shoulders back into their sockets, then looked around for something to dress her in. Only Kaehto's clothes were in evidence, and the Cirronian refused to compel Mel to wear those. He stripped off his own shirt and draped it around her, buttoning it and then retrieving her panties.

When he had helped her into those, he scooped her into her arms and left the warehouse, cradling the quiet woman against his chest.

"Mel?" he whispered, worried.

"Yeah?"

He could not stifle his relieved sigh. "Get some rest. I'm going to take you home now."

"Okay, Cole," Mel agreed, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. 

***

It was not until they were back in the car and already driving off that she was able to compose herself enough to speak.

"What was he doing to her, Vicky?" Maria asked. "What is all this?"

"Told you my life turned some kind of cross between X-Files and Twilight Zone."

"I believe you." Maria nodded shakily. "What was wrong with her?"

  
"Doesn't matter. All that matters is that she's alive."

"They're going to find William Brandon dead in a few days, aren't they?"

"Cole didn't kill him. He could have, but he didn't." Vic shrugged. "But, yeah, Mar. They will find yet another body in the next few days. And one less killer will be wandering the streets."

Considering everything that she had seen, and the conditions of Brandon's earlier victims, Maria nodded. "Take me home. I need to get drunk."

"Me, too, baby," Vic agreed. "We going to get drunk together or separately?" he asked hesitantly.

"Together, dumb-ass. Then we can have make-up sex. I'm not mad at you, just frustrated that I don't know what's going on with you. I worry. You know that."

"I know, Mar. And I worry about you, too… That's why I think it might be better not to burden you with the things I know."

"You know what worries me?" Maria asked quietly.

  
"What's that?"

"Just assuming for one moment that Cole's our best line of defense against Zin…"

"I'd call that a fair statement," Vic told her.

"Vicky, he's in Zin's debt now," Maria whispered. "If Zin hadn't sent Lana to tell him where Mel was, she'd probably be dead by now. He _owes_ Zin."

"Shit."

***

"Here, Mel," Cole murmured, handing the pajama-clad woman another mug of cocoa. He sat down on the edge of the bed, regarding her hesitantly. He had healed the rest of her injuries, but there would always be a scar on her back to match the one on her stomach and the effort had left him exhausted. "How do you feel?"

"Uh… lightheaded." Mel shrugged and sipped her cocoa. "I'm not in pain any more, thanks to you, and… my stomach feels a lot better."

Cole had healed her completely as soon as he could muster enough strength for each task: her burns, the frostbite, the deep gouging cuts, the flayed stomach, her dislocated shoulders. _Those_ had been easy. What he really worried about were the injuries that even Cirronian hands could not heal.

"And here?" Cole asked, touching one hand to Mel's forehead and one to her heart.

"Still numb, I guess." Mel shrugged. "I think it could take me a few days for it all to sink in. I… it was like watching him torture someone else. Eventually, it _is_ going to sink in, though." She drew a shaky sigh. "I don't know what's going to happen then. I'm probably going to be a basket-case for a long time."

"But you're strong. You'll get through it. I'll help you." He started to withdraw his hands.

Mel covered the hand over her heart with one of her own. "And I am going to need every bit of help you can give me," she told him. 

"It's yours. You know that. There is nothing I would not do for you."

Mel smiled and nodded faintly. "Come to bed now, sweetheart."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not going to be able to get to sleep without you here with me." Mel took another sip of her cocoa, then put it on the nightstand. "I… I might need awhile, you know, before things are like they were with us… making love, I mean… but I'd still like to have you near me."

Cole nodded his understanding, freeing his hand and kissing her fingertips before rising and pulling his clothes off. He climbed into bed next to her, sitting there hesitantly for a long moment until she slid across the bed and snuggled into him. He smiled gratefully down at her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from him, Mel."

"You saved my life, Cole," she pointed out.

"Barely. And not on my own."

"Lana…" Mel nodded. "I know. Ayjata thera ayjata, Cole. What does that mean?"

"Blood will be repaid in blood. It's an old Vardian code of behavior."

  
"She thought you were going to kill him."

"I almost did…"

"You didn't, though. You proved that bitch wrong. Good for you, Tausha."

"I received several transmissions while you were resting earlier," Cole told her. "Many words of thankfulness that you are safe, and wishes for a quick recovery. Eijan, Bendal, Kallissa, Nallyn, Alicia, my older nieces and nephews, a few cousins… you are much loved, Mel."

"One hell of an extended family I married into," Mel chuckled. "How did they all find out?"

"I told Eijan. She told Kallissa and my family."

"How'd Bendal find out?"

  
"By not listening at Eijan's door." Cole smiled faintly. "Bendal knows _everything_ that happens on Sar-Top, usually before Eijan does. He is a useful Second." His smile widened. "And he has finally admitted that you are _not_ that strange-looking after all…"

  
"High praise," Mel chuckled. 

Cole smiled down at her, gently wrapping his arms around her. "Actually, I believe his exact words were 'she has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen' and 'you're a lucky man'. He's right, too, Mel. I am. Get some rest," he ordered.

"Do you still need sleep?"

"I probably will later. I'll stay up and watch you until then."

"Okay." She nodded and turned off the light, before climbing under the covers and laying down again.

Cole looked down at her for a moment, his face concerned, then joined her under the covers, smiling when she snuggled into his chest as quickly as she always did. She would need his comfort now more than ever before, and he wanted to be there to give it to her. Sighing softly, he held her close and just lay there watching her until her face relaxed into sleep.

***

Mel yawned, in the darkness, making no move to get up, not when gentle arms embraced her and held her securely against a large, strong, warm chest. She smiled and snuggled further back into him, eliciting a low chuckle.

"Not nice to laugh at me," she chastised, her smile widening.

"Why ever not, sweetness?" a cheerful voice inquired.

__

It's a dream, she told herself firmly, _just a dream_. But she could not stop herself from tensing and she could not resist an attempt to pull away. When the arms tightened painfully around her, she struggled wildly, screaming and hoping to pull herself awake before the dream could get any worse.

What finally woke her, though, was not her loud and repeated screaming but the man shaking her roughly.

"Mel? Mel! Wake _up_, Mel!" Cole loudly demanded of the screaming woman.

Mel's eyes snapped open and she looked up at him, gasping gratefully. "Cole," she breathed, cradling his face in her hands, drinking in those beautiful eyes. One of which was freshly blackened. Had _she_ done that to him? 

He smiled reassuringly at her, a smile that did not echo his current, anxious feelings one bit. "It's okay, Mel," he murmured. "It's over." 

Sobbing and nodding, she buried her face in his chest, clutching him tightly. 

"It's okay, Mel," Cole assured her gently. "I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt you."

She lifted her head from his chest and gave a shaky nod. "I'm going to go make a pot of coffee. You want some?" 

"No, Mel. And neither do you."

  
"Yes I do." Mel nodded. "I really need caffeine right now, Cole," she whispered.

He shook his head. "Mel, depriving yourself of sleep will _not_ help."

"I can't go back to sleep, Cole," she protested. 

"I can put you to sleep without dreams," he reminded her gently. "I've done it before."

She shook her head. "Not tonight, Cole. It's just too much to ask, okay? Please…"

"Okay." He nodded faintly. "I'll make you a pot of coffee and we'll curl up together on the couch…"

  
"Thank you," she whispered, rising with him and following him into the kitchen. 

"Sit down, I'll make the coffee," Cole directed. 

When he had started the coffee, he found a blanket and wrapped it around Mel, hovering until the coffee was done. When he returned to the living room with two mugs of coffee, Mel was sleeping again. Smiling faintly, he set the coffee down, sitting down next to her and wrapping his arms around her, waiting until she would wake and need his comfort again. The next few weeks would be difficult for her, but he would be there every step of the way, providing strength to the woman who had always been _his_ Strength.

****

The End


End file.
